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LEATHERSTOCKING 


BY 

GEORGE ARTHUR GRAY 

i) 

SUGGESTED BY 
J. FENIMORE COOPER'S 
LEATHERSTOCKING TALES 


ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES 
FROM THE PHOTOPLAY 


A PATHE SERIAL 



GROSSET & DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 


Made in the United States of America 








Copyright, 1924, by 
GROSSET & DUNLAP 



JUN 17 ’24 


©C1A703667 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I 

The First Warpath 




PAGE 

1 

II 

Muskrat Castle 




16 

III 

Into the Night 




28 

IV 

The Test of Briarthorn 




42 

y 

Prisoners of War . 




52 

VI 

A Maid-at-arms 




63 

VII 

Chingachgook’s Escape 




73 

VIII 

What the Serpent Saw 




91 

IX 

The Faith of Hetty H utter 



106 

X 

White Man’s Law . 




122 

XI 

Ransom .... 




139 

XII 

Mingo Treachery . 




157 

XIII 

Unmasked .... 




173 

XIV 

The Betrayal . 




185 

XV 

In Huron Hands . . . 




199 

XVI 

The Shot from the Ark 




213 

XVII 

Torture .... 




228 

XVIII 

The Attack . 




243 

XIX 

The Reckoning 




258 

XX 

The Payment . 




271 

XXI 

The Serpent Strikes . 




281 

XXII 

A New Day . 




296 











WHY IT WAS DONE 


A century ago James Fenimore Cooper gave 
to the world its first stories of adventure 
among the Indians. Generations of authors 
have come and gone, and their works have 
done likewise, but the passing years seem to 
have had little effect upon “Leatherstocking 
Tales,’’ save, perhaps, that of rendering them 
more alluring as time goes on. 

Our grandfathers and our fathers followed 
with breathless interest the exploits of 
“ Chingachgook, ” “Uncas,” “Natty Bump- 
po,” “Floatin’ Tom Hutter,” “Hurry Harry 
March” and all the rest of the picturesque 
characters that emanated from the Cooper 
imagination, and even we ourselves are not 
above an occasional plunge into the romance 
that they lived. 

Cooper was either a genius, or else he was 
not. It all depends upon the point of view. 
Our men of letters of a bygone age contended 
that he was, and they awarded him a place 
high in American literature. Our sophisticates 
of to-day are inclined to look down on him 


ri WHY IT WAS DONE 

tolerantly and declare in their most patroniz¬ 
ing manner that he was vastly overrated. 
They find fault with his style, with his plot 
construction, with his characterizations, and 
possibly with his spelling and handwriting. 
The fact remains, however, that his novels 
would still be paying royalties if there were 
any one to pay them to and if our copyright 
law covered such a long period, while the works 
of his critics a hundred years from now will 
be as little remembered as is the name of the 
man who bought the first copy of “The Last 
of the Mohicans.’’ 

Popularity of the kind enjoyed by “Leather¬ 
stocking Tales” is an asset not to be over¬ 
looked by those best qualified to judge its value. 
Therefore, to-day we find a motion picture 
presentation of these Cooper stories current 
on the screens of the country. Cooper’s fertile 
imagination provided plot and incident enough 
to keep a studio running at full speed for at 
least five years, but such a procedure would 
undoubtedly have proved unwise if undertaken. 
No such attempt was made, but three of the 
most widely read of the series—“The Deer- 
slayer,” “The Last of the Mohicans” and 
“The Pathfinder”—were culled for their most 
thrilling and picturesque action, and into this 


WHY IT WAS DONE 


Vll 


were introduced the characters that figured in 
‘ ‘ The Deerslayer. ’ ’ The result is that Cooper’s 
heroes and heroines and villains have been 
brought to life so that the boys of to-day may 
actually see the things that were merely paper 
and printer’s ink to those of past generations. 

In preparing this novel, no attempt has been 
made to rewrite or improve upon Cooper. 
That would indeed be a presumptuous under¬ 
taking and one which would fully merit the 
rebukes that would be certain to follow. 
Neither was it the plan to follow any one of 
the stories that make up “Leatherstocking 
Tales.” Like the picture, the novel sought 
only to group into one story the high lights of 
the series. 

With all respect to Cooper, it must be ad¬ 
mitted that he does not provide the easiest 
reading matter available to the youth of the 
present day. The fact that certain of his 
works are “required” in school English courses 
does not tend to add to his popularity among 
young readers. Surely, these stories are de¬ 
serving of a better fate than to fall into the 
category of study, for that puts them into 
the same engrossing class with Wentworth’s 
Arithmetic, Wells’ Algebra, and kindred 
works. 


Vlll 


WHY IT WAS DONE 


This novel, then, is merely an humble effort 
to put before such boys and girls, and grown¬ 
ups, too, for that matter, as may chance to see 
it, just a sample of the thrill and glamorous 
adventure that are to be found between the 
covers of any of Cooper’s stories. If it is the 
means of thus arousing sufficient interest to 
bring about a rereading of those classics of a 
century ago, the author will feel well repaid 
for the effort he has put into it. 


New Rochelle, N. Y. 
March 17th, 1924. 


G. A. G. 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


CHAPTER X 

THE FIRST WARPATH 

The late afternoon snn was striving well- 
nigh. in vain to send its beams slantwise through 
the wall of trees that circled the clearing. 
Through the rift overhead the deep blue of 
the August sky seemed to glow with added 
brightness by reason of the deeper shadow be¬ 
low, and a gentle breeze shook the leafy barrier. 
A bird shrilled its free forest song and launched 
its little body towards the heavens in the sheer 
joy of living, and a gray squirrel scampered 
out on a bough to look with appraising eyes at 
that small bit of the world visible from his leaf- 
bound vantage point. 

Peace and the quiet of nature held sway over¬ 
head, but below were the never-ending conflict 
and bickering that follow mankind wherever 
his venturesome spirit prompts him to go. In 
that tree-enclosed forum white man and red 
l 


2 LEATHERSTOCKING 

had met—not in battle, but in preparation for 
it. The elders of the Delaware tribe, called 
together by their chief, the venerable Tame- 
nund, to consider the overtures of the French 
Commander, were listening in silence to the 
closing words of the emissaries from Montreal. 

His Excellency, Louis Joseph de Montcalm 
de Saint-Veran, weary of inaction and smart¬ 
ing under the daily affronts of his English 
enemies who claimed this vast region from 
Hudson’s River to the Great Father of Waters, 
the Mississippi, had made the stern resolve to 
sweep down from the North and forever still 
the boasts of rival claimants. Montcalm had 
laid his plans well. He had easily won over 
to his cause the ferocious Hurons and allied 
them with their brothers of the .other Cana¬ 
dian tribes. Now he sought the aid of the Del¬ 
awares, but the promise of scalps and loot that 
had worked such wonders with the Huron 
chiefs aroused no enthusiasm nor battle lust 
among the Lenni Lenape. 

Seated cross-legged on the greensward fac¬ 
ing the Delaware council, the four gaudily uni¬ 
formed officers of Montcalm’s army loudly 
praised the prowess of their red brothers, 
dwelt at length on the love borne them by the 
Great White Chief in Montreal and strove with 


THE FIRST WARPATH 


3 


clever tongues to win their stolid hearers. 
Since morning the Frenchmen had harangued, 
and the Delawares had listened with polite at¬ 
tention. At last they had done. 

“In the lodges of the Delawares hang the 
scalps of enemies that prove the prowess of 
their warriors ,’ 7 concluded the spokesman in 
the tribal tongue. “Their fires are made 
brighter with the stories of the young men who 
go forth to battle and return with the spoils 
of the victor. They are mighty on the war¬ 
path and they strike fear to the hearts of their 
foes. Thus does the Great Chief at Montreal 
think of them. With the Delawares as his 
brothers, he will sweep the thieving English 
from the land, and the scalps and treasures to 
be gained by Tamenund’s warriors will make 
them the mightiest of the mighty. Will Tame- 
nund join his French brothers and go forth 
against the English!” 

For a moment the earnest young officer gazed 
steadily into the eyes of the patriarchal Tame- 
nund, and then he turned his glance to the 
strange figure that all day long had stood be¬ 
side the Chief. This individual was not an 
Indian if facial characteristics went for aught, 
but he apparently stood high in the coun¬ 
cils of the Delawares. Killer-of-the-Deer they 


4 LEATHERSTOCKING 

called him, and the fierce eyes with which he 
glared at the French officer at the conclusion 
of the plea gave added emphasis to the first 
word of his name. He turned to the aged chief 
and was about to speak when Tamenund raised 
one withered hand to command attention. 

“Tamenund and the elders of his tribe have 
heard the words of their white brothers,” he 
said in a firm voice. “They welcome their 
white brothers in council and send greeting to 
the Great Chief in Montreal.” Then the voice 
took on a majesty that awed even the white 
soldiers from the North: “Tell the Great Chief 
that the Delawares are not wolves—they do 
not roam and search for prey! They are not 
jackals that draw their strength from what the 
wolf leaves! Since the days when the Great 
Manitou breathed life into the earth, the Del¬ 
awares have lived at peace with their neigh¬ 
bors. They seek neither loot nor scalps. Their 
lodges are places of peace. But never has a 
Delaware fled when war was waged against 
him. His tomahawk is ever ready to uphold 
the honor of his tribe, as his hunting knife is 
to add to its food store. The Delawares will 
wield the tomahawk to defend their own lives 
and their own people, but never will they take 
the warpath against their white brothers. This 


THE FIRST WARPATH 5 

is the reply of the Delawares to the Great Chief. 
Tamenund has spoken.’’ 

The aged chief rose to his feet, signifying 
that the Council was at an end. Slowly he drew 
the long robe about his lean shoulders and, 
closely followed by Killer-of-the-Deer, made his 
way across the open space and into the narrow 
path that led to the village on the bank of 
the river. Tamenund had indeed spoken. 

The Frenchmen, disappointed at their fail¬ 
ure but relieved by the termination of the 
tedious conference, left the circle without 
speaking, mounted their horses and rode away 
into the forest. Montcalm’s advance must be 
undertaken without the aid of the Delawares. 

But the end was not yet. Tamenund was as 
crafty as he was mighty. The French had 
failed in their efforts to enlist the Delawares, 
but might they not succeed with the other 
tribes along the Mohawk? If they should, how 
long could the Delawares continue to live at 
peace with their neighbors? These questions 
presented themselves to the patriarch of the 
Delawares as he made his way back to the vil¬ 
lage, and his mind, long trained in the crude 
statecraft of his people, evolved a plan to off¬ 
set the wiles of the Great White Chief of the 
French. Tamenund halted and, turning to the 


6 LEATHERSTOCKING 

young man who had kept pace with him, said : 

“My son, our white brothers speak with 
honeyed tongues. To the Delawares their 
words are as the whistling of the wind through 
the leafless tree, but we know not the minds 
of others. Near the lake they call Glimmer- 
glass are the wigwams of many tribes friendly 
to us. You shall take them the message of 
Tamenund. Tell them that the truth is not 
in the promises of those who would have them 
take the warpath, and bid them heed the counsel 
of the Lenni Lenape that peace may continue 
over our hunting grounds. 

“The Killer-of-the-Deer is swift of foot and 
he knows the secrets of the great forest. He 
can gain the waters of the Otsego wdiile the 
messengers of the Great White Chief are still 
seeking a path for their horses. Go, with the 
message of Tamenund .’ 9 

The young man made no answer, but the 
old chief knew; that his instructions would be 
carried out to the letter, for in the village of 
the Delawares none was lookedupon with 
greater confidence than he whom they called 
Killer-of-the-Deer. He was a white man—or, 
rather, a white youth, for he was not more 
than three-and-twenty—but he had lived with 
Tamenund’s people from childhood. None 


7 


THE FIRST WARPATH 

knew whence he came. If he himself knew, he 
kept his own counsel. Tall and straight as the 
sycamore, lithe as the willow and strong as 
the oak, he was a companion—a brother—of 
whose prowess the young men boasted and in 
whom the elders of the tribe had confidence. 
His attire was composed of dressed deer-skin 
and on his well-shaped head, with its black hair, 
reposed a cap of raccoon. He was not hand¬ 
some as men are judged nowadays, but his clear 
eyes shining with honesty, and his picturesque 
personality, were such as to distinguish him in 
marked degree from the few other white youths 
with whom he had come in contact. His real 
name was Natty Bumppo, but his sureness of 
eye and his deadly aim had quickly won from 
his Delaware brothers the sobriquet of Killer- 
of-the-Deer, or Deerslayer, while in the settle¬ 
ments he was known as Leatherstocking. Since 
he was clad in hides from head to foot, this 
name was unusually appropriate, and because 
it had been conferred upon him by men of his 
own race, he preferred it to all others. 

Boon companion of Leatherstocking was 
Chingachgook, son of Uncas, Chief of the 
Mohicans. The two were inseparable and the 
hunting trail was never taken by one without 
the other soon following. Chingachgook, the 


8 


LEATHERSTOCKING 

Big Serpent, had never taken the warpath. 
With Leatherstocking, he shared the distinc¬ 
tion of never having turned a weapon against 
a fellow man, but now he found himself faced 
with the duty of shedding human blood. He 
sat in front of his lodge and his fierce eyes 
looked away to the South, all his native stoi¬ 
cism forced into action to control the fury that 
raged within him. 

“My brother is not at peace,’’ came the voice 
of Leatherstocking from over his shoulder. 

Chingachgook leaped to his feet and turned 
to face his companion. 

“No,” answered the Mohican fiercely. 
“Chingachgook will never more be at peace 
until he has sought out the skulking fox, Briar- 
thorn! To-day while we sat in council Briar- 
thorn took captive Wah-ta-Wah, the fairest 
flower of the Delawares, and is even now carry¬ 
ing her off to the Huron camp.” 

Leatherstocking’s eyes reflected all the fury 
that blazed from those of the Mohican, for he 
knew of the love Chingachgook and Wah-ta- 
Wah bore each other. 

“Then we have no time to lose, my brother,” 
he cried. ‘ ‘ I will help you find Briarthorn! I 
am charged with a mission by Tamenund, and 
now it shall be a double mission.” 


THE FIRST WARPATH 9 

Chingachgook looked the joy he could not 
speak. The woodcraft of Leatherstocking was 
famed wherever Delaware camp fires burned, 
and he rejoiced at the proffered aid of this 
powerful ally. 

“It is good, my brother,’’ he replied. “The 
Mohican shall track him along the western 
shore, Leatherstocking on the east. At the big 
rock on the Otsego, Chingachgook will meet his 
brother three suns hence.” 

Leatherstocking pressed the Mohican’s hand 
in answer and without further preparation the 
two set out upon their journey. 

All night long Leatherstocking kept up his 
steady advance. He knew the renegade Briar- 
thorn would not sleep within striking distance 
of the Delaware camp, hut would push forward 
in an attempt to put as many miles as possible 
behind him before sunrise. Somewhere ahead 
he could picture the gentle Delaware maiden 
being driven and dragged through the wilder¬ 
ness, and the vision lent speed to his feet. 

By daybreak Leatherstocking had come upon 
a clearing near the bank of the river, and from 
its farther end rose the blue smoke of a camp 
fire. Dropping to the ground, he noiselessly 
circled the clearing to a point directly back 
of the fire, and there, in a declivity at the edge 


10 LEATHERSTOCKING 

of the water, he saw a figure that brought a 
smile of recognition to his face. Cupping his 
hands, he shouted: 

“Hurry Harry!” 

The man on the beach turned and looked 
about him in surprise. His gigantic figure 
stiffened under its buckskin garb and his hand¬ 
some face took on a puzzled look. Just then 
Leatherstocking emerged from his hiding place 
and stood revealed. 

“ ’Tis Leatherstocking! ’’ exclaimed the 
giant, striding forward with outstretched hands. 
“Welcome, my boy; you’re just in time for 
breakfast.’’ 

Hurry Harry March, hunter, trapper, trader 
and wanderer in the forest places, was to most 
men a mystery, and this fact gratified a pride 
that was by no means the least of his charac¬ 
teristics. He was handsome—that he knew on 
the testimony of every pool into which he 
looked; he was strong as the bear, and his 
height—he was over six feet four—had made 
him known to the Indians throughout the region 
as Tall Pine. But to Leatherstocking, who now 
came forward to greet him, he was merely 
Hurry Harry, an old companion who had for 
months carried on his pursuits elsewhere than 
in the land of the Delawares. 


THE FIRST WARPATH 11 

6 ‘Hurry, it’s been many moons since yon and 
I met,” exclaimed Leatherstocking, clasping 
the other’s hand in both his own. 

“Aye, that’s the truth,” replied Hurry, “and 
I cannot say that you have bettered yourself. 
You still take strong to the redskin way of 
talk. But what brings you so far from the 
lodge?” 

“I’m to meet Chingachgook two suns hence 
by the big rock on Glimmerglass,—Otsego, as 
the Delawares call it.” 

“Glimmerglass,” repeated Hurry. “ ’Tis 
strange, but that’s the spot I’m bound for. 
Come, lad, breakfast is waiting.” 

When two hungry men fall to there is little 
time for talk, and so it was with Hurry Harry 
and Leather stocking. Before another word 
was spoken all vestiges of food had disap¬ 
peared. Then Leatherstocking asked: 

“Is it a hunting trip that takes you to Glim¬ 
merglass f” 

A loud, ringing laugh greeted the question. 

“Well—you might call it that, and you 
mightn’t. ’Tis a gal—my fr’end—a gal that is 
takin’ me back to Glimmerglass. P’r’aps 
you’ve heard of Judith Hutter. If not, you 
soon will, for never a white man goes near the 
lake that she don’t see or that don’t see her.” 


12 LEATHERSTOCKING 

“I’ve heard the Delawares tell of a white 
woman thereabouts,’’ replied Leatherstocking. 
44 She lives on a boat, they say.” 

“That’s the one,” nodded Hurry, “only 
’tisn’t a boat exactly. You see, her father, 
Floatin’ Tom Hutter, has lived on Glimmer- 
glass these fifteen years. Once, when Judith 
and her sister, Hetty, were children, the In¬ 
jins tried to drive Tom away. They burned 
his cabin, but he and his darters escaped. 
Then Tom built his house out in the lake, where 
the Injins could not come nigh without his 
seein’ ’em, and he built another house, too—a 
floatin’ house that he uses for his purposes 
about the lake and the outlet.” 

“You speak of another girl, Hetty—are there 
two birds in Hutter’s nest?” 

“Yes, lad, Hetty is the younger. A comely 
gal she is, too, but not quite as strong in the 
head as might be. Just on the varge of igno¬ 
rance, I call her—a bit touched in the mind.” 

“Them are beings the Lord has under his 
special care,” said Leatherstocking, solemnly. 

“That’s as may be. Hows’ever, old Tom has 
her under his special care, and so has Judith, 
and what with that and his trying to keep claim 
to the lake, he has little peace, I’ll be bound.” 

“Oh, then, does he own Glimmerglass?” 


THE FIRST WARPATH 13 

“Well, lie says lie does, and that’s enough 
for such as Floatin’ Tom Hutter. They say, 
lad, that he once was a free liver and sailed the 
salt water along with a certain Captain Kidd, 
who was hanged for piracy. That’s why he’s 
here. The King’s cruisers can’t cross yonder 
mountains so Tom feels safe to enjoy his plun¬ 
der peaceably.” 

“Then he’s wrong, Hurry, very wrong. A 
man can enjoy plunder peaceably nowhere.” 

“So Tom is I’arnin’,” replied March, with 
a smile, “but p’r’aps not for the reason you 
mean. You see, lad, Judith is a wayward and 
headstrong gal. She’s a beauty and she knows 
it, and I fear she hasn’t always been as maid¬ 
enly and modest as she should ha’ been. 
There’s a young English captain from one of 
the forts over on the Mohawk that I look on 
with some suspicion, and I’ll vow Jude has no 
one to blame but her own folly, if I’m right. 
But, try as may, I can’t get her out of my 
mind, and that’s why you find me now on my 
way back to Glimmerglass—to marry her if 
she’ll say the word.” 

Leatherstocking looked at his companion in 
mild surprise, but said nothing. 

“Come, we’ve squandered time enough,” said 
March, starting to his feet. 


14 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Leatherstocking followed his example and 
the two made off into the forest. The sun had 
just started on its afternoon journey down the 
western sky when they broke through the un¬ 
derbrush and came out upon a shingle of sandy 
beach that led by a gentle slope down to the 
river which at this point was wide as a lake 
and smooth as a woodland pool. 

“If I mistake not, ’tis hereabouts we hid the 
canoe six months back,” said March, looking 
about him. 

But Leatherstocking had already wormed his 
way through the thick bush to the trunk of a 
huge basswood tree that had long since ended 
its struggles with the elements and fallen to 
the earth. Decay had attacked its center and 
hollowed it out as though some gnawing ani¬ 
mal had tunneled it from end to end. Leather¬ 
stocking removed some pieces of bark that 
cleverly concealed the opening at the base of 
the trunk, and a moment later, with his com¬ 
panion’s assistance, drew from the cavity thus 
disclosed a bark canoe containing its seats, 
paddles, and other appliances, even to fishing 
lines and rods. The real task came with the 
efforts of the two to force the craft through 
the underbrush to the river, but by diligent use 
of hunting knives they at last cleared a path. 


THE FIRST WARPATH 15 

“Now ’tis but a short pull and the waters 
of Glimmerglass will be beneath us / 7 exclaimed 
March. “Swing your paddle, lad, and we’ll be 
off to the glorious Judith ” 


CHAPTER II 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 

Ok a rising bit of thickly wooded land on 
the western side of Glimmerglass, a band of 
roving Hurons, the advance guard of Mont¬ 
calm’s red allies, made their camp late that 
afternoon. Rivenoak, fiercest and most feared 
of all the Huron chiefs, had long turned his 
greedy eyes on that bit of water and the rich 
hunting grounds that surrounded it. 

His tribe’s alliance with the French had 
given him the excuse he wanted, and, not wait¬ 
ing for instructions from his white com¬ 
mander, he had struck southward to take by 
force what Floatin’ Tom claimed as a freehold. 
Hutter, “the Muskrat,” for so the Indians had 
named him, would contribute a scalp to some 
Huron belt. Judith, “the Wildflower,” would 
grace some Huron lodge. Hetty, touched by 
the Great Manitou, was a sacred being and 
therefore could not be disposed of even by a 
chief. 

Thus planned Rivenoak as he gazed mood¬ 
ily over the shimmering waters that stretched 
16 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


17 


out beneath him, and the commotion that sud¬ 
denly rose beyond the hastily erected lodges 
broke irritatingly upon his train of thought. 

Two of his warriors were leading towards 
him a Delaware brave and with him a Dela¬ 
ware maid whose fairness was heightened by 
the anger that flashed from her fine eyes. The 
brave stopped before the Huron chief and 
straightened his lithe body as he boldly faced 
the warriors that crowded around. 

“Briarthorn greets the great Rivenoak,” he 
said, turning to the chief. “I come from the 
South seeking my Huron brothers and the place 
of a warrior in their tribe.’’ 

Rivenoak maintained an ominous silence as 
his fierce eyes took in every detail of Briar- 
thorn’s garb and appearance. The assembled 
Huron warriors pressed about the Delaware 
girl in open admiration, an action which found 
small favor with the squaws, judging from the 
malignant glances turned upon her from the 
feminine contingent. Briarthorn’s assumed 
ease began to dwindle and his forced boldness 
became more forced as Rivenoak continued to 
scrutinize him coldly. 

“The Delaware seeks brotherhood with the 
Huron,” the chief said scornfully as though 
speaking the thought aloud. “The jackal 


18 LEATHERSTOCKING 

would take the name of the mountain lion and, 
with it, the bravery of the mountain lion.” 

“Briarthorn is no Delaware,” lied the new¬ 
comer, 44 but as true a Huron as any here.” 

“The Huron does not wear the Delaware 
headdress,” countered Rivenoak, pointing to 
the hawk feather hanging over Briarthorn ’s 
ear. Then a crafty light came into his eyes— 
one more warrior to add to his band would 
not be amiss—and as he came a step nearer 
he asked: 

“What has Briarthorn to offer my people in 
return for a warrior’s lodge?” 

In answer Briarthorn turned and, roughly 
clasping the Delaware girl’s wrist, drew her 
before the chief. 

“I bring the fairest flower of the Delawares 
to bloom among the Huron women, ’ ’ he replied 
triumphantly. ‘ ( W ah-t a-W ah! ” 

The Delaware girl drew her arm in loathing 
from Briarthorn’s hand and turned on him in 
fury. 

“The Hurons are dogs—cowards,” she cried. 
“They are vile. Briarthorn does well to deny 
Delaware ancestry. The Delawares would be 
defiled by him!” 

Rivenoak listened for a moment and then, 
with a majestic wave of the hand, indicated his 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


19 


wish that Wah-ta-Wah be removed from his 
sight. But peace was not to be restored by 
means of any such expedient. A Huron scout 
dashed into the circle with the news that two 
white men in a canoe had just entered Glimmer- 
glass and were even then making towards 
Muskrat Castle. A dozen warriors pressed 
about him, but Rivenoak forced his way among 
them. 

“When the Muskrat summons his forces/’ 
he said, “it is time for the Hurons to strike.’’ 

Then turning to Briarthorn, he went on: 

“Hearken, Delaware or Huron, whichever 
you be—prove now your right to a warrior’s 
place among my people. Go with my young 
men and bring back the scalps of the Muskrat 
and the two who seek to aid him!” 

The Delaware straightened and clasped his 
rifle and tomahawk more firmly. 

“Briarthorn is ready,” he said. 

Rivenoak smiled a trifle scornfully, then 
singled out seven stalwart warriors from those 
who were expectantly awaiting orders. Ad¬ 
dressing them, he said: 

“The Delawares are treacherous. They love 
not the Hurons, for they are brothers to the 
Yengeese. He who calls himself Briarthorn 
wears the Delaware headdress, yet he wishes 


20 LEATHERSTOCKING 

to be a Huron warrior. Keep him at the front 
of the attack and have your weapons ready to 
slay bim if he show sign of untrustworthiness. 
Rivenoak has spoken.” 

Briarthorn would have protested against this 
doubt of his motives, but there was not time. 
Two of the Hurons grasped his arms and he 
found himself being hurried away towards the 
lake, in the somewhat anomalous position of 
a leader who is being driven forward by his 
own men. 

Shading his eyes with his hand, Rivenoak 
peered out across the expanse of water, and 
there, close inshore, he could make out the 
canoe of the two white men. As he watched, 
it swung away from its course and its prow 
was turned towards the odd structure that 
stood in shoal water near the head of the lake. 

The afternoon was already well spent when 
Leatherstocking and his companion drove their 
canoe with strong paddle thrusts into the 
waters of Glimmerglass. The sun had dropped 
below the crest of the western hills and a soft 
glow spread over the scene. 

“ Yonder is Floatin' Tom’s house,” spoke up 
March, “Muskrat Castle.” 

Leatherstocking turned and looked in the 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


21 


direction indicated. The structure had just 
come into his line of vision as the canoe rounded 
a wooded point and its strangeness elicited 
from him an exclamation of astonishment. 

Muskrat Castle, as the house had been named 
by some waggish officer, stood in the open lake 
fully a quarter of a mile from the nearest shore. 
On every other side the distance was much 
greater, two miles of water separating it from 
the northern end of the sheet and nearly a mile 
from the eastern bank. The house stood on 
piles driven deep into the shoal that cut across 
the lake at that point, and the water flowed 
beneath it. 

As the prow of the canoe scraped against 
the piling, another outburst of astonishment 
came from Leather stocking’s lips. Muskrat 
Castle was not merely a woodsman’s cabin out 
of its element, but had all the appearance of 
a permanent establishment. A “door-yard” 
extended twelve or fifteen feet in front of the 
house proper, some three feet above the surface 
of the water. Like the rest of the structure, 
this was fashioned of pine logs squared on the 
top side and earth had been packed between 
them. The house itself was reared above this 
platform, and Leather stocking could see at a 
glance that it was marvelously equipped to 


22 LEATHERSTOCKING 

withstand assault, particularly since the assail¬ 
ants must expose themselves on the open lake 
to the sweeping fire of the protected defenders. 

March grasped a pile and drew the canoe 
close alongside. 

‘ ‘Halloo, Tom Hutter!” he called, and 
awaited a reply. 

Again he called out, but the gentle lapping 
of the water around the piles was the only 
sound that broke the silence. 

“ ’Tis as I thought likely,’’ said March, “the 
old fellow is driftin’ around the other end this 
fine weather and has left the Castle to defend 
itself. "Well, lad, now we know that he is not 
up thisaway, ’twill be but a small matter to 
paddle down and hunt him up in his hidin’ 
place.” 

So saying, Hurry Harry shoved the nose of 
the canoe away from the piling and headed it 
towards the lower end of the lake. Under the 
steady, skillful strokes of the paddlers, the 
little craft leaped through the water and after 
half an hour it drew inshore towards the mouth 
of a narrow stream, the outlet of Glimmerglass. 
March headed directly into the current, using 
his paddle as a rudder with which to follow 
the turnings of the stream. The thick under¬ 
brush growing down to the water’s edge, to- 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


23 


gether with the deepening dusk, rendered vision 
well-nigh impossible and suddenly the canoe 
brought up with a jolt against an outcropping 
of bush that seemed to extend far out into the 
current. 

“We’re aground, lad,” cried March. “Back 
water!” 

No sooner had his voice sounded than the 
bush parted and a singularly beautiful girlish 
face was thrust through an opening in the 
leaves within reach of Leather stocking’s pad¬ 
dle. Its owner smiled graciously upon the 
young man; and the frown that she cast on 
March, though simulated and pettish, had the 
effect of rendering her beauty more striking 
by exhibiting the play of an expressive but 
capricious countenance. 

The nature of the surprise was soon ex¬ 
plained. By merest accident the men had 
dropped alongside the ark which had been con¬ 
cealed in bushes cut and arranged for the 
purpose; and Judith Hutter had pushed 
aside the leaves that lay before a window in 
order to show her face and speak to them. It 
was but the work of a moment for Leather¬ 
stocking and March to make their canoe fast 
to the ark and clamber aboard through the 
bushes. 


24 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


Hutter’s floating house was what the term 
implied—a clumsy scow with a cabin in its 
center. The whole was propelled by sweeps 
from the bow. An experienced navigator would 
have found difficulty in making headway with 
such an unwieldy contrivance, hut Floatin’ 
Tom and his girls, familiar with all the quirks 
and cranks of the craft, handled it with ease. 

As the newcomers, led by Judith, entered the 
cabin, Hutter himself looked up from his task 
of mending a crude trap and gave them a wel¬ 
come in which he unsuccessfully sought to bury 
sincerity under surliness. 

“I looked for you a week ago,” he said to 
March, 4 ‘and was disappointed uncommonly 
when you didn’t come. A runner brought word 
of more trouble between the Canadas and the 
colonies, and I warn’t comfortable with three 
scalps to protect.” 

“With two such darters as you’ve got, that’s 
a nat’ral feeling,” returned March, with a lin¬ 
gering glance in the haughty Judith’s direc¬ 
tion. “Well, here I am, and I’ve brought you 
another who will help you defend ’em if he’s 
needed.” 

“Young man, you are welcome,” growled 
Hutter, thrusting a hard bony hand towards 
the youth. 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


25 


“Yes,” went on March, ignoring this inter¬ 
ruption, “I enlist right now as Judith’s sol¬ 
dier, and here is Leatherstocking to help you 
take care of Hetty.” 

“Many thanks to you, Master March,” ex¬ 
claimed the beauty in a full, rich voice, utterly 
devoid of the intonation and accent that marked 
the speech of the whites in the settlements, 
“many thanks to you; hut Judith Hutter has 
the spirit and the experience that will make 
her depend more upon herself than on good- 
looking rovers like you.” 

“Girl, girl,” interrupted the father, “quiet 
that glib tongue and hear the truth. There 
are savages in the neighborhood as I can tes¬ 
tify who have seen signs of their presence.” 

This information startled Leatherstocking 
with the fear that he might he too late and 
that Montcalm had succeeded in stirring up 
the tribes. 

“But are you sure they’re real Canadas?” 
he asked. 

“ ’Tis their signs I’ve seen, not them,” re¬ 
plied Hutter. 

“Well, if this he true, old man, we’d best 
lose no time in gettin’ this ark of yours back 
to the Castle,” exclaimed March. 

While this conversation was going on, Leath- 


26 LEATHERSTOCKING 

erstocking permitted his gaze to wander to¬ 
wards a corner of the cabin where, on a low 
stool, sat a rather pale, sweet-faced girl of 
not more than eighteen. Her clear eyes rested 
on the group with a childlike wonder and a 
faint smile hovered about her lips as they 
talked. Leatherstocking needed no one to tell 
him that this was Hetty Hutter, and in vain 
he sought in her gentle face for some similarity 
to the haughty, arrogant Judith. There was, 
of course, the natural sisterly resemblance, but 
Hetty and Judith were as different as winter 
and summer. 

“Well, we had better be startin’ if we are 
to make the Castle before the Injins find us,” 
muttered Tom, starting to his feet, and the 
others followed him from the cabin. 

“Floatin’ Tom is full of contrivances,” 
Hurry Harry had said, and Leatherstocking 
found it to be true. To bring the ark down¬ 
stream was simple, but to force it up where 
the river bed was too narrow to permit of 
using the sweeps was quite another matter. 
But Tom had overcome the difficulty. Out in 
the lake far enough from the river mouth to 
keep clear of the force of the current, a heavy 
grapnel had been dropped to the bottom, where 
it held fast. From it a stout line led down 


MUSKRAT CASTLE 


27 


the river, anchored at each turn by huge rocks. 
Now, when Tom and his companions sought 
to return to the lake, they pulled on the line 
and by the strength of their arms forced the 
awkward craft upstream against the current. 

Alone, Tom could hardly have accomplished 
the journey in less than an hour, but with his 
two athletic visitors and such help as Judith 
and Hetty could offer, the ark came around the 
last bend in less than half that time. 

At the mouth of the river, or rather, at the 
point where the waters of Glimmerglass emp¬ 
tied into it, a great tree dropped its leafy 
foliage over the stream. Silently thanking the 
fortune that had brought them thus far with¬ 
out attack from their red enemies, the three 
men sighed with relief as the ark swung under 
the overhanging branches, for a few minutes 
more would see them in the open lake and well 
on the way to the safety of Muskrat Castle. 

Suddenly a scream of terror came from Ju¬ 
dith, who stood at the stern, and the ark shook 
with the impact as eight of Rivenoak’s braves 
hurled themselves upon the deck from the 
leafy branches above. A piercing Huron war- 
whoop shattered the silence, seemingly in an¬ 
swer to the girl’s cry. 


CHAPTER III 


INTO THE NIGHT 

Leatherstocking, who had been at the prow 
of the craft about to give a lusty pull on the 
anchored cable, turned like a flash as Judith’s 
cry of terror blended into the savage shriek 
of the Indians. His rifle lay at his feet, but 
before he had time to grasp it, a lithe red 
body, streaked with paint, hurled itself at him. 
The wild training of his boyhood days, how¬ 
ever, had taught him never to retreat, so, strik¬ 
ing aside the upraised tomahawk, he swung his 
powerful right fist in a lightning-like sweep, 
landing it with crushing force on the jaw of 
his assailant. The Indian was thrown to the 
deck and lay still. 

Meantime two of the redskins had combined 
their attack on Hurry Harry, but a physical 
encounter was as the breath of life to him, and, 
swinging his long rifle like a club, he was lay¬ 
ing about him so vigorously that the enemy 
had perforce to keep their distance. Floatin’ 
Tom was struggling on deck with a fourth In- 


INTO THE NIGHT 29 

dian and his long muscular arms seemed well 
able to protect their owner. 

But on none of these did the quick eye of 
Leatherstocking rest. His one thought was 
of Judith, and he leaped frantically over his 
fallen foe as he saw the brave girl interposing 
her body between her sister and the remaining 
four redskins who were closing in upon her. 

In falling, Floatin' Tom had dropped his 
rifle and for a second Judith’s foot touched it. 
Instinctively she seemed to know what it was 
without looking and, with a fierce tigerish 
movement, she stooped and picked it up. Even 
as Leatherstocking cleared the last three feet 
that separated him from the two girls, Judith 
fired and one of the Indians, clutching a hand 
to his shoulder, pitched overboard and sank 
in the water. 

‘ c Well done, Judith!” Leather stocking cried. 

This sudden and totally unexpected turn of 
events had taken the Indians so completely by 
surprise that for one unfortunate second they 
hesitated. But that second was enough. Leath¬ 
erstocking sprang at them like a catamount on 
its prey. His hands shot forward and each 
of them closed on a Huron throat. With all 
the strength at his command, he crashed their 
heads together and pushed them from the deck. 


30 LEATHERSTOCKING 

At the same moment, he was thrown flat on 
his stomach by the weight of a human body. 
Wriggling quickly to one side, he slid out from 
under the last of the four Hurons who had 
sought to surround the girls. Over the pros¬ 
trate redskin stood Judith with the heavy rifle 
poised above her head and Leatherstocking re¬ 
alized that to her bravery he owed his life. 

When he had leaped upon the two Hurons, 
he had not noticed the third crouched catlike 
on the deck of the ark. This warrior jumped 
as Leatherstocking cracked the two heads to¬ 
gether. With tomahawk upraised, he sprang 
on the unsuspecting youth and would undoubt¬ 
edly have added a scalp to his belt but for the 
quickness of Judith. The girl threw all her 
power into the blow and brought the rifle butt 
down with stunning force on the Huron’s skull, 
and his limp body in falling bore his intended 
victim to the deck. By this time, the rest of 
the attacking party had been routed by the 
ark’s defenders. 

Leather stocking got to his feet and stood be¬ 
fore the girl in silence, a peculiar expression 
in his eyes. Judith was beautiful. He had 
seen that at first glance, but now, with the 
exaltation of battle on her face, she seemed in¬ 
finitely more beautiful than he had ever imag- 





SfiSSfc 




1 

■a 

K 

« 

2 


%» 

* 

•V4 


*4 




QUICK !” HE SHOUTED, “ KILL THAT DEVIL ! 




















31 


INTO THE NIGHT 

ined a girl could be. He wanted to speak, to 
tell her how wonderful she was, but his voice 
refused to do his bidding. Before the almost 
boyish frankness in her clear eyes, his own fal¬ 
tered and looked away, for he remembered in 
a flash the light words of Harry March, 
“There’s a young English captain from one 
of the forts over on the Mohawk that I look 
on with some suspicion and I’ll vow Jude has 
no one to blame but her own folly, i£I’m right.” 

Somewhere back in his strange youth, Leath¬ 
erstocking had been taught that honesty, honor 
and integrity, in women as well as in men, were 
more to be desired than great riches or great 
beauty, and he was firmly convinced that in 
the scales of God these three virtues out¬ 
weighed all others. He had no reason to ques¬ 
tion Hurry’s appraisal, and therefore, like 
many another man, he mentally condemned the 
girl without a fair hearing. He straightened 
his shoulders and his eyes met hers again. 

“I’m obliged to you,” he said slowly. “I’ll 
not forget.” 

Then he turned away to see March regarding 
him curiously from the other side of the ark. 
The giant came forward and placed a big hand 
on Judith’s shoulder with an air of possession. 

“Well, lad,” he said to Leatherstocking, “we 


32 LEATHERSTOCKING 

sartainly put a stop to that Huron war party. 
And little Jude here gave a good account of 
herself, eh, my girl?” 

“ Praise from you, Master March, is indeed 
an honor,” replied Judith scornfully, pulling 
her arm free from his hand. “ Small thanks 
to you for our safety.” 

“Oh, Judith, that isn’t just,” interrupted 
Hetty, gently, speaking for the first time since 
the Indians dropped to the deck of the ark. 
“Harry fought off two of them and I’m sure 
he would have done more if there had been 
need. “But”—her voice grew lower—“we 
should not give our thanks to any mortal for 
our safety. We were in God’s hands, as we 
always are, and He protected us.” 

The flush of anger that had suffused March’s 
face at Judith’s biting words faded and the 
retort he intended to make died on his lips 
as he looked at the fragile little creature who 
had noiselessly stepped beside him. Leather¬ 
stocking, too, not entirely free from the red 
man’s belief in Divine protection of those 
“touched in the mind,” as Harry had said, 
looked at the girl with awe. 

“We’ve no time for talk,” came the gruff 
voice of Tom Hutter calling those in the little 
group to a realization of their surroundings. 


INTO THE NIGHT 


33 


“The red devils were bested this time, but 
they’ll be back. Lend a hand here, Harry, and 
you, young man.” 

March and Leatherstocking, thus adjured, 
hastened to Tom’s side, and the interrupted 
journey from the river mouth to the point 
where the grapnel was anchored in the lake 
was resumed, this time with much greater speed 
than before. On the shore, at some fifty yards 
from the river, could be seen the remnants 
of the attacking party of Hurons. Three stood 
on the beach and three others were swimming 
towards them supporting two comrades whose 
injuries prevented their making any efforts to 
save themselves. 

“Guess we didn’t kill any of ’em,” muttered 
Floatin’ Tom regretfully, as he watched the 
erstwhile war party start back through the un¬ 
derbrush. “Well, better luck next time.” 

Dark had fallen when the ark was finally 
maneuvered alongside Muskrat Castle by means 
of the sweeps. It had been a tiring journey 
for all because, although the craft was equipped 
with a short mast and a rude sail, the twilight 
calm had rendered useless this means of pro¬ 
pulsion and unassisted arm-power had brought 
it to its destination. The ark was made fast 
and the little party entered Muskrat Castle 


34 LEATHERSTOCKING 

which was soon bright with the glow of half 
a dozen candles. 

All through the supper that Judith and 
Hetty prepared at the baked clay and rock fire¬ 
place, Leatherstocking looked about him with 
the true woodsman’s admiration for the very 
evident patience and skill the builder of the 
Castle must have exercised. Three rooms com¬ 
prised the establishment—the room in which 
they were seated and two smaller rooms evi¬ 
dently used as sleeping quarters. The walls 
were of squared pine logs, well calked with clay 
to make them air- and water-tight. The floor 
was fashioned similarly, and the roof was made 
of closely fitted boughs, covered with strips 
of birch bark and held in one solid mass by 
liberal applications of clay. 

The furnishings were of the simplest kind. 
A table of pine slabs and legs of straight pine 
boughs from which the bark had not been re¬ 
moved, and three chairs of similar construction, 
sufficed to meet the needs of the occupants. 
To the right of the entrance was the fireplace, 
a building enterprise upon which Hutter had 
expended much time and profanity before at¬ 
taining a perfection of masonry calculated to 
retain fire and smoke. 

“For as cozy a nest as this, lad,” March 


35 


INTO THE NIGHT 

remarked jokingly, “even you might be induced 
to give up your wigwam.’’ 

“What do you mean by that?” asked Hutter, 
turning a quizzical eye on the object of this 
bit of raillery. 

“Why, friend Leather stocking is as much a 
redskin as a white,” explained March. “Even 
now he’s on the way to meet an In jin chief 
at the big rock down the lake.” 

Hutter straightened and his voice took on a 
tone that could not by any stretch of the imag¬ 
ination be termed friendly. 

“I don’t like that,” he growled. “This man 
is a stranger and he’s to meet an In jin here 
at a time when all Injins are a menace. We’ve 
been attacked already. ’Tis my thought that 
he had best explain himself.” 

“For shame, father,” exclaimed Judith, 
warmly coming to Leatherstocking’s defense. 
“He was in as much danger as any of us, and 
he fought quite as well. Why, he saved my 
life!” 

“There’s no secret about what I’m doin’ 
here,” interrupted Leatherstocking with a faint 
smile. “The truth is that I’ve lived all my 
life with the Delawares, and the Delawares are 
friends of the white man. The French sol¬ 
diers are tryin’ to make the Delawares fight 


36 LEATHERSTOCKING 

with them ag’inst the English. Tamennnd 
won’t hear to it and has sent me to visit the 
tribes west of this lake to warn them not to 
fight the white men. That’s why you find me 
in these parts.” 

“But this Injin chief you’re to meet,” per¬ 
sisted Hutter, still suspicious, “who is he?” 

“He is Chingachgook, a Mohican. The part 
o’ my mission that consarns him, consarns him 
alone. It has no connection with any here and 
as it’s his secret and not mine, I’ll say no more 
about it.” 

4 ‘ ’Tis something about a young woman, ’ ’ in¬ 
terrupted Judith, hastily; then, coloring at the 
impulse that prompted her to impute such a 
motive, she added, half apologetically, “If it’s 
neither war nor a hunt, it must be love.” 

“Aye, it comes easy for the young and hand¬ 
some, who hear so much of them feelin’s, to 
suppose that they lie at the bottom of most 
proceedin’s, but on that head I’ll say nothin’. 
Chingachgook is to meet me at the rock an 
hour before sunset to-morrow evening, after 
which we’ll go our way together, molestin’ none 
but the King’s enemies, who are lawfully our 
own.” 

“The explanation is satisfactory,” Hutter 
admitted, with a surly attempt to smooth over 


INTO THE NIGHT 


37 


any ill feeling he had caused. “Master Leath¬ 
erstocking will he accepted here as a friend / 9 

The threatened unpleasantness thus cleared 
away, Judith again relapsed into silence and 
a moment later left the room. Hardly had she 
entered the bedroom when her cry for help 
brought the three men to their feet. They 
rushed to the doorway in time to see a Huron 
warrior leaping towards the open window 
through which he shot his body like an arrow 
leaving a bow. A splash outside marked his 
plunge into the lake, and then came the sound 
of arms and legs cutting the water in the 
intruder’s hasty efforts to swim out of 
range. 

Leatherstocking ran to the window and 
peered out. The moon had risen and its silvery 
radiance disclosed the dark figure in the water 
swimming steadily towards shore. Hutter, 
strangely more angry than apprehensive at the 
astounding fact that a redskin had at last man¬ 
aged to penetrate the fastness of Muskrat Cas¬ 
tle, grasped Leather stocking’s arm with con¬ 
vulsive fingers. 

‘ ‘ Quick! ” he shouted frantically. 61 Get your 
rifle and kill that devil!” 

“Little good if I did,” replied Leatherstock¬ 
ing, “and the chances are ag’inst my hittin’ 


38 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


him. Moonlight is not cal dated to help marks¬ 
manship.” 

Hutter rushed from the room and, hurriedly 
picking up a lighted candle from the table on 
which still stood the fragments of supper, en¬ 
tered his own bedroom and closed and bolted 
the door behind him. His face distorted with 
fury, he looked about him and gave voice to 
the most blasphemous oath his years of life 
on the seas had taught him. The room was 
in complete disorder. Not a thing had been 
overlooked by the prowling Indian. Evidently 
he had entered Muskrat Castle before the 
owners returned in the ark and had been 
trapped in the bedroom by their arrival. 

In one corner stood a huge iron-bound chest 
such as seafaring men fill with the odds and 
ends gathered on their cruises. This had been 
fastened with a heavy padlock for which Hut¬ 
ter carried the key, but a few well-directed blows 
of a tomahawk had broken the staple and the lid 
stood open. All over the floor the contents of 
the chest had been scattered as the Huron 
sought something that appealed to his savage 
fancy. Papers, ships’ instruments, clothing, 
several smaller boxes and scores of other arti¬ 
cles were strewn about in mid disorder. 


INTO THE NIGHT 39 

Feverishly Hutter dropped to his knees and 
cleared out the rest of the contents until the 
very bottom of the chest was exposed. This 
he examined with extreme care, running' his 
fingers over every inch of it. Finally, satisfied 
with what his examination disclosed, he rose 
to his feet. 

“Safe,” he muttered to himself, and his face, 
u, moment before fiendish in its fury, assumed an 
expression of relief. 

Without another glance at the havoc wrought 
by the intruder, he turned and left the room. 

In the main room Leatherstocking and Hurry 
Harry were excitedly discussing the incident 
while the sisters sat close together in evident 
fear now that their supposedly impregnable 
stronghold had been invaded. Hutter’s en¬ 
trance stopped the discussion, and he looked 
at the two men with sudden determination. 

“Well, one thing is sartain,” he observed, 
“we’ve a great advantage over the redskins 
in being afloat. Aside from your canoe and 
mine, Hurry, there’s hut three canoes on the 
lake, and I’ve got them hid snug in hollow 
logs.” 

“Don’t be too sure,” broke in March; “if 
it’s a war party and they’re in real earnest 


40 LEATHERSTOCKING 

to smoke you out, old Tom, they’ll have your 
hidden canoes in the lake by to-morrow night, 
I’ll be bound.” 

Hutter looked worried. His daughters, his 
home, his traps were in real danger if March 
had spoken the truth. 

“It’s my notion, Tom,” went on March, 
“that all your possessions hereaway are like 
to fall into Huron hands. This Injin swum 
out to the Castle when we wam’t here, but 
the main body must depend on canoes and we’d 
best put a stop to that in advance.” 

“Aye, that may be,” muttered Tom, reflec¬ 
tively, ‘ 4 that may be. If the canoes were here, 
now, safe from the Injins, we’d be in no dan¬ 
ger.” 

Then a grim smile passed over his face. 

“Both the English and the French are payin’ 
high for scalps,” he said. “If we should get 
the canoes and a few Injin scalps into the bar¬ 
gain now— What’s your sentiments on these 
p’ints, Hurry?” 

“My sentiments are yours, old man,” re¬ 
turned Hurry with enthusiasm. 

“And you, young man?” Tom continued, ad¬ 
dressing Leatherstocking. 

“If it’s to get the canoes, then I’m with you 
and Hurry,” replied Leatherstocking, “but I 


INTO THE NIGHT 


41 


say shame to them that pays bounty on a hu¬ 
man’s scalp, and I’ll have nought to do with 
that part of it. ’Tis right for us to protect 
ourselves, but wrong to do needless killin’.” 

Hutter was plainly disappointed and was 
about to speak his mind concerning a white man 
who considered an Indian human, when Judith 
again came to Leather stocking’s defense. 

“Such feelings do him credit, father,” she 
declared, “and you would be wise to profit by 
his counsel.” 

“Say no more on the subject, girl,” Hutter 
commanded, rising. “The young man can at 
least go ashore with us and bring the canoes 
back here to the Castle. Then he can remain 
here as guard for you and Hetty.” 

To this Leather stocking agreed, and a few 
minutes later Harry’s canoe containing the 
three men slipped silently away into the dark¬ 
ness towards the shore. 


CHAPTER IV 


THE TEST OF BRIARTHOBN 

At the head of his marauding Hurons, the 
crafty Rivenoak had penetrated far into enemy 
country in his advance southward. Glimmer- 
glass, some miles below the line of English 
wilderness forts that dotted the Mohawk from 
Hudson’s River westward, lay beyond the 
northern boundaries of the territory occupied 
by the Delaware nation, and served as a nat¬ 
ural center from which access to the numerous 
tribes in the west was comparatively simple. 

In this wilderness, with its scattering of 
white settlers, it had been no difficult task for 
Montcalm’s agents to make their way unno¬ 
ticed past the British outposts and reach the 
very heart of Delaware territory. Such a 
course, too, was as easy of accomplishment to 
Rivenoak if he had chosen to make open war¬ 
fare on Tamenund’s people. This may have 
been the desire of the French, but nothing was 
farther from the mind of the Huron chief. His 
part of the campaign, he had determined, 
should consist solely in harrying the* white set- 
42 


THE TEST OF BRIARTHORN 43 


tiers, with an occasional raid on some weaker 
tribe thrown in by way of diversion, but prin¬ 
cipally in possessing for himself and his people 
the rich hunting grounds that surrounded Glim- 
merglass. 

Consequently, at the first intimation of a 
renewal of hostilities, in fact, before any actual 
orders to advance had come from Montcalm, he 
led his warriors south with all possible speed. 
The homeland of his people lay to the north¬ 
west, and he had taken every advantage of this 
fact in approaching his objective. Cautiously 
he had circled the western end of British forts 
and, without interference of any kind, he finally 
reached the point which he knew from many 
hunting trips to command the entire expanse 
of water. This was a wooded hill that rose 
abruptly from the western shore of Glimmer- 
glass, and, in a clearing that surmounted this, 
his people had begun the construction of a tem¬ 
porary village. 

The patience of the Indian is proverbial. On 
the warpath or the hunting trail he is tireless, 
drawing his strength from a seemingly inex¬ 
haustible source of nervous energy, but when 
it best suits his purpose he can at will become 
the stolid, unemotional, immovable red statue 
that he is so frequently pictured. 


44 


LEATHERSTOCKING 

Rivenoak possessed all these characteristics. 
He seemed the very spirit of fanatical hate 
when he sent his war party to crush three white 
men, but now he sat silent and rigid in his 
lodge awaiting the return of his braves with, 
as he fondly hoped, the scalps of his enemies. 
That the Muskrat was his enemy, Rivenoak 
knew full well. The Muskrat was the sworn 
enemy of every redskin that ventured near the 
waters or the shores of Glimmerglass. 

In the Castle this white usurper and his 
daughters were safe, for access to the dwelling 
was possible only by canoe and Rivenoak’s 
people, now on the war path by reason of 
Montcalm’s promises of loot and scalps, had 
of necessity not burdened themselves with the 
cumbersome craft. 

When his warriors had set out on learning 
of the presence of two strange white men on 
the lake, Rivenoak had little hope that they 
would actually make contact with the enemy. 
All day he had watched Muskrat Castle and 
he knew that Hutter and his daughters were 
not at home. But, with all the wily intuition 
of his race, he reasoned that the strange white 
men must know* and be known to Hutter. If 
this were true, they would in all likelihood know 
where to find him when they discovered his 


THE TEST OF BRIABTHORN 45 

absence from the Castle. Therefore, if the 
Huron warriors followed on shore the lead 
taken by the strangers’ canoe, they would ulti¬ 
mately be led to Hutter’s hiding place. 

How well this line of reasoning worked out, 
we already know, but Rivenoak in his lodge 
stoically awaited the return of the war party, 
unaware of the defeat it had met at the hands 
of the hated whites. An hour he waited and 
dusk came on, and with it came a commotion 
from without that caused the Huron chief to 
peer through the curtain of branches that 
served as a door. Straggling through the un¬ 
derbrush and into the clearing, hailed loudly 
by the women, came the warriors who had set 
out a short time before to bring in the scalps 
of the white men. They came not as victors, 
they brought no prisoners, and, as they finally 
halted before the camp fire, Rivenoak could 
see that their belts held no white scalps. He 
stalked out and glowered at them. 

“My warriors return in silence,” he said 
slowly and with undisguised sarcasm. “They 
pass through the forest like the serpent slides 
through the grass.” 

“Rivenoak speaks truly,” replied Briar- 
thorn. “The Yengees fled in the big canoe with 
white wings. The Hurons could not follow.” 


46 LEATHERSTOCKING 

The circle of Indians that pressed around 
the inglorious warriors separated and Wah-ta- 
Wah stood boldly before the Huron chief. 
With the utmost contempt she regarded Briar- 
thorn, and then her scornful laugh rang out. 

“Briarthorn is a brave warrior/’ she cried 
mockingly. “He runs from the Delawares to 
ask shelter of the Hurons and he runs from 
the Yengees to lie to Rivenoak! The Yengees 
did not flee! See the Huron warriors bear 
wounds! ’ 9 

And boldly forcing the furious Briarthom 
to one side, the Delaware girl pulled from the 
crowd into the light of the camp fire the war¬ 
rior whose shoulder had received the shot from 
Judith’s rifle. 

“See! ,, she cried, pointing to the injury. 
“See how the Yengees fled before the brave 
Hurons!” 

Again she laughed contemptuously as she 
favored Briarthorn with an impudent toss of 
her head. 

Rivenoak, at first angered at Wah-ta-Wah’s 
behavior, looked in interest at the evidence of 
actual defeat she had singled out. Then he 
faced Briarthorn with an evil gleam in his eyes. 

“The Delaware woman makes much talk, but 
she speaks truth/’ he said fiercely. “The Del- 


THE TEST OF BRIARTHORN 47 


aware who would be a Huron has led the Huron 
warriors as the jackal who would lead the 
mountain lion.” 

“Rivenoak is a fair and just chief,” ex¬ 
claimed Briarthorn hastily, not a little alarmed 
at the looks of suspicion directed against him 
from the circle of Huron faces. “Let a Huron 
tell the tale of a Huron defeat. Briarthorn will 
keep silence.” 

For a moment Rivenoak considered this pro¬ 
posal and then agreed. Summoning a young 
warrior who had been a member of the war 
party, the Chief bade him tell what had hap¬ 
pened. The Huron told of circling the head 
of the lake and keeping pace with the Yengees’ 
canoe as it left the Castle and skirted the shore. 
He explained how he and his companions had 
watched it traverse the river and finally bring 
up at the concealed ark; how it had been de¬ 
cided to attack the ark from the overhanging 
tree at the entrance to the lake, and how this 
attack had been met by the Muskrat and his 
people. 

“The Yengees are mighty warriors,” he con¬ 
cluded frankly. “Even the women are power¬ 
ful in battle. The Delaware himself fell under 
the blow of a woman’s rifle butt.” 

Briarthorn winced at this statement, for a 


48 LEATHERSTOCKING 

throbbing pain in his bead, centering about an 
area to the left of bis scalp lock, testified to its 
truth. It was be who bad tried to strike down 
Leatberstocking from the rear and who bad 
been knocked unconscious by Judith. The 
young Huron’s recital of this incident again 
aroused the fear that Leatberstocking bad rec¬ 
ognized bis erstwhile Delaware brother and 
would at once suspect the whereabouts of Wah- 
ta-Wah. Knowing the strong friendship that 
existed between Leatberstocking and Chingach- 
gook, Briartborn rightly surmised that his ab¬ 
duction of the Delaware girl bad something to 
do with the young white man’s presence in 
those parts and that the Mohican himself was 
not far away. But Briarthorn’s danger lay 
much nearer than that. In the rush of the fight 
Leatherstocking had not recognized him, but 
the Hurons were beginning to realize that he 
was not to be trusted. This was in truth an 
evil beginning for one who sought place as a 
Huron warrior. 

Impassive and silent, but grimly attentive, 
Rivenoak listened to the young Huron’s 3tory. 
He was, as Briarthorn had said, a fair and just 
chief, and although displeased at the failure 
of his warriors in their encounter with the 
Yengees, the story he had heard seemed plaus- 


THE TEST OF BRIARTHORM 49 


ible. At least, lie had lost none of his men, 
and opportunity would surely present itself for 
another attack in such numbers that Hutter 
and his people would be easily overpowered. 
Canoes were lacking, that was true, but rafts 
would do as well, and with this idea in mind, 
he turned away from the group of warriors. 
Two such rafts had already been completed 
that afternoon and Rivenoak was content. 

While this scene was being enacted in the 
camp, down on the beach, a quarter of a mile 
away, one of Rivenoak’s most trusted warriors, 
the Lynx, dragged himself from the water and 
dropped exhausted on the ground. For sev¬ 
eral minutes he lay still, and then, raising him¬ 
self to a sitting posture, he looked back across 
the dark expanse of lake from which a wraith¬ 
like mist was rising. There was an exultant 
gleam in his eyes and he bared his teeth in a 
wolfish snarl as he discerned through the hazy 
night air the faint lights in Muskrat Castle. 

“Yengee thieves !” he muttered, quite over¬ 
looking the fact that but for his own thieving 
proclivities he would have been spared the long 
and tiring swim to the Castle and back. 

But the Lynx was not logical. An angry man 
never is. 

His great strength now restored by the brief 


50 LEATHERSTOCKING 

rest, lie leaped to his feet and, with the water 
dripping from his feathers and tribal accouter¬ 
ments, he set out at a trot for the Huron camp. 

When the Lynx entered the circle of firelight, 
he saw Rivenoak and Briarthorn apparently 
in council with the assembled warriors. Dis¬ 
regarding the formalities of the occasion, he 
crowded into the circle and stood before the 
Chief. His sudden appearance put a stop to 
the discussion that was in progress, and he ex¬ 
citedly began to recount his adventures. 

The Lynx had followed the war party to the 
headland #rom which only a scant quarter mile 
of water separated the Castle from the shore. 
There he had plunged in and, with long, easy 
strokes, had swam to the piling. There he 
pulled himself up to the “door yard” and, 
finding the door unlocked, he entered. He told 
of the loot Hutter’s sea chest contained, none 
of which he could bring back for fear of ruin¬ 
ing it in the water. So intent upon his search 
had he become that by the time he reached the 
room of the sisters, the ark had tied up out¬ 
side, and he was trapped. Then came Judith’s 
discovery and his escape through the window. 

The story pleased Rivenoak immensely, for 
it confirmed his belief that the Castle contained 
loot worthy of his efforts. He leaped to his 


THE TEST OF BRIARTHORN 51 


feet and a moment later all his warriors were 
gathered about him. The attack on the Castle 
should be made that night—at once. At the 
same time, a party would be left on shore to 
guard against a possible attack from the Yen- 
gees in their canoes. 

As though in response to a prearranged sig¬ 
nal, the warriors separated in two parties, one 
to man the rafts and the other to wait on shore. 
Then, as silently as shadows, they vanished in 
the underbrush. 


CHAPTER V 


PRISONERS OF WAR 

It was not far from ten o’clock when the 
canoe containing Leatherstocking, Hntter and 
Hnrry Harry March pushed off from the stag¬ 
ing in front of Muskrat Castle. The moon, 
which earlier in the evening had cast a brilliant 
light over Glimmerglass, had drawn behind 
thick clouds and from the surface of the water 
a mist was rising that made the shore seem 
vague and distant. Hutter and March plied 
their paddles with extreme caution in order 
that their approach might not be heard by 
some sharp-eared Huron scout. Leatherstock¬ 
ing, crouched in the prow with his rifle over 
his knees, kept his keen eyes straight ahead, 
peering into the mist that was momentarily; 
becoming thicker. 

“Sheer off a p’int to port,” mumbled Hutter 
over his shoulder to March; “them canoes is 
all together about a mile south of the head¬ 
land.” 

In answer to the skillful paddle strokes, the 
light bark craft bore southward and for half 
an hour not a word was spoken. The carioe 

52 


PRISONERS OF WAR 


53 


forged ahead over the dark, smooth water, 
cleaving the mist which closed behind it like 
a curtain. Then Hutter strove to pierce the 
mist with his eyes. 

“ Hereabouts, I cal ’late, ” he said in a low 
tone, and three powerful paddle strokes sent 
the canoe grating and scraping up on a sandy 
beach. 

“Now, where, old man?” asked March, fol¬ 
lowing Leatherstocking as the latter stepped 
ashore. 

Hutter joined them and looked about him in 
the darkness. As his eyes fell on the outline 
of a tall pine some five or six feet distant, a 
triumphant chuckle escaped him. 

“Couldn’t a done better,” he exclaimed. 
“Right at the foot of that pine one of ’em is 
hid and the others is near by.” 

He ran forward and, in verification of his 
statement, came upon a fallen basswood giant. 
In a moment he had removed a screen of bark 
and leaves and, with the aid of March, pulled 
a canoe from the rot-hollowed trunk. Leather¬ 
stocking, fully aware of the need for haste, 
picked up the canoe and ran with it to the beach, 
where he made it fast to the stem of his own. 
By that time Hutter and March had uncovered 
two more canoes in what, by clever conceal- 


54 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


ment, appeared to be impenetrable underbrush. 
These were carried to the shore and made fast 
to the first. Then Leatherstocking took his 
place in the leading canoe which Hutter shoved 
off and March guided the launching of the three 
trailers. A few paddle strokes took Leather- 
stocking a safe distance from shore where he 
was to await the return of his companions who 
would not be dissuaded from their plan to take 
a few Huron scalps in reprisal for the attack 
of that afternoon. The call of the loon was 
the signal agreed upon to summon him back 
to shore to pick up Hutter and March. There 
on the smooth waters of Glimmerglass, sur¬ 
rounded by the ghostly mist, Leatherstocking 
began his lonely vigil. 

The canoe safely launched, Floatin' Tom 
and Hurry Harry lost no time in setting out 
for the spot where they supposed the Huron 
camp to be. But they had not gone twenty 
paces inland before they were borne to the 
ground under the weight of a score of sav¬ 
ages who apparently had lain in wait for them. 
To struggle was futile, for they were outnum¬ 
bered ten to one, and within a few seconds they 
were pulled to their feet, their arms securely 
bound with buckskin thongs that cut into their 
flesh with every move. 




PRISONERS OF WAR 


55 


Strangely enough, not a word was spoken 
by the Hurons. They forced their prisoners 
along at a rapid pace through the forest and 
in ten minutes they had reached the camp. The 
Indians then bound them fast to two saplings 
that stood within range of the firelight, and 
a crowd of curious Indian women pressed 
around them. 

Rivenoak, who had not accompanied either 
of his war parties, crossed the cleared space 
and walked up to his captives with the air of 
a conqueror. 

“The Muskrat and Tall Pine welcome at 
Huron camp fire,” he said ironically* “Riven- 
oak glad to greet them. Now it be long before 
he let them go.” 

“Keep your talk to yourself, Mingo,” 
snarled March, using the expression of con¬ 
tempt. “You’re not done with us yet.” 

“Tall Pine speak truth,” replied Rivenoak,, 
seriously* “Before Hurons done, two more 
white scalps hang in wigwam.” 

Then he stepped aside and returned to his 
lodge, leaving his helpless prisoners to face 
the jibes, insults and blows of the women and 
old men. 

E»] M M [•] H M m 


56 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Respite his first failure in the guise of a 
Huron warrior, Briarthom, by his ready wit 
and glib tongue, had so ingratiated himself in 
the opinion of Rivenoak that he was placed in 
charge of the two rafts that were even then 
making their slow and cumbersome way across 
Glimmerglass towards Muskrat Castle. In a 
canoe an Indian is as much at home as he is 
when his moccasins tread the warpath or the 
hunting trail, but on the rudely built rafts—* 
logs bound together with buckskin thongs and 
propelled by means of boughs used as sweeps 
—he was greatly at a disadvantage. The best 
efforts of the most skillful warriors were able 
to produce a speed not much in excess of a 
crawl, and even then the clumsy craft were 
constantly getting off their course. The result 
of this was that more than an hour elapsed 
between the time the rafts first put out from 
shore below the Huron camp and the final ap¬ 
proach to the Castle. 

Within Muskrat Castle Judith and Hetty 
awaited the return of their father and his com¬ 
panions. Judith was obviously nervous and 
ill at ease, but Hetty displayed all -the calm¬ 
ness of one about whom deadly peril was not 
at that moment gathering. 

‘‘The stranger they call Leather stocking is 




PRISONERS OF WAR 57 

a man who trusts in God,” she said, as though 
the thought forced itself into expression. 

“Why, child, how do you know that?” asked 
Judith in surprise. 

“I read it in his eyes,” answered Hetty, sim¬ 
ply. “Those who believe in God and trust in 
Him need offer no proof. The honesty and 
frankness in their eyes tell more than words. 
Judith, he is a brave man—much braver than 
Hurry Harry, who forever talks of his bravery 
—for Leather stocking says little about him¬ 
self.” 

“Hurry Harry March is an irresponsible, 
undependable forest rover,” declared Judith 
with conviction. “I quite agree with you, 
Hetty, he suffers much in comparison with 
Leatherstocking. Oh, I wish father would 
hurry back. This is the first time I have really 
experienced fear.” 

She rose impatiently and went to a window. 
Taking down the bar, she threw back the heavy 
shutter and looked out. It was after midnight 
and a faint breeze had swept the mist from the 
surface of the lake. Overhead the clouds had 
broken and the moon, now low in the sky, again 
bathed Glimmerglass in silvery light. But the 
beauty of the scene was entirely lost on the 
girl. Not twenty feet from the open window. 


58 LEATHERSTOCKING 

she saw something that left her face bloodless 
and almost paralyzed her with fear. 

Two large rafts, each crowded with savages, 
were being propelled towards the landing stage! 

“God help ns, little sister,” she gasped. 
“The Hurons have reached the Castle!” 

Not for a second did the look of serenity 
leave Hetty’s face. She rose from her chair 
and clasped her sister’s hands. 

“God will help ns, Judith,” she said firmly. 

Judith forced her back against the wall, and 
an air of determination suddenly took posses¬ 
sion of her. She ran to the fireplace and from 
a rack above it took down a long rifle and with 
it a powder horn and pouch of bullets. With 
trained fingers she loaded the piece and then 
she threw open the door and rushed out onto 
the staging. 

From the open door Hetty in amazement 
watched her sister. All fear now seemed to 
have left Judith. There on the staging she 
stood facing the two raft loads of ferocious 
Huron warriors who had by this time made 
fast to the piles. A fearsomely painted savage 
leaped to the staging and stood for a moment 
leering at the girl. Judith raised the rifle like 
a flash and fired. The warrior, with a scream, 
toppled backwards into the water. 


PRISONERS OF WAR 


59 


N9W the staging seemed literally swarming 
with savages. Infuriated at the death of one 
of their number, they threw all caution to the 
winds and, with blood-chilling cries, they leaped 
from the rafts and bore down on the girl. 

Judith ran back to the door and just cleared 
the threshold when the leader, none other than 
the renegade Briarthorn, hurled himself for¬ 
ward in a wild attempt to hold the door, but 
Judith had acted in time. She slammed the 
heavy door on Briarthorn’s fingers and bolted 
it securely, while the baffled Delaware gave 
vent to his feelings in a yell that resounded 
far above the cries of the warriors who now; 
rushed forward. 

Far down the lake where he waited for flut¬ 
ter and March, Leatherstocking heard the shot 
and the savage cries. He turned in alarm and 
looked away in the direction of Muskrat Castle 
of which he could now see the vague outline 
in the moonlight through the thinning fog. 
That the Castle had been attacked in some un¬ 
accountable way and that the girls were con¬ 
sequently in the gravest danger, he was cer¬ 
tain. He could not go to their assistance be¬ 
cause he had promised to wait there for Hutter 
and March. To go would be to leave them to 
the mercy of the Hurons; to stay meant that 


60 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Judith and Hetty would be left to a fate he 
did not care to think of. 

Seemingly as the solution of the problem that 
confronted him, there came from the deep 
shadows on shore the clear, shrill cry of the 
loon. The signal! Hutter and March had re¬ 
turned ! 

Leatherstocking waited not another second. 
With powerful paddle strokes he sent his canoe 
towards the shore, the three others trailing 
along behind. As the prow touched the beach 
he leaped out and pulled it up on the sand; 
then he looked about him. There was no sign 
of his two friends, hut perhaps they were re¬ 
maining out of sight for a purpose. Cautiously, 
he started forward, his rifle ready for instant 
use. He crept through the fringe of under¬ 
brush that lined the beach and as he rose to 
his feet to look about him again, a body hurled 
itself at him from the shadow and as it bore 
him down, he saw it was that of a Huron war¬ 
rior. 

Dropping his rifle, Leatherstocking closed 
powerful hands about the Huron’s throat and 
with a strangling pressure completely shut off 
the other’s wind. The Indian’s body grew limp 
and Leatherstocking hurled it from him. He 
struggled to his feet, recovered his rifle and 


PRISONERS OF WAR 


61 


stood waiting for the Huron’s next move. The 
first sign of returning consciousness was a 
groan, and then the Indian dragged him¬ 
self to his knees to face Leather stocking’s 
rifle. 

“Get up, In jin,” commanded Leatherstock¬ 
ing. “You’re still alive.” 

“No take scalp?” asked the Huron unbe¬ 
lievingly. 

“Takin’ scalps is an Injin trick,” replied 
Leatherstocking. “White men don’t want any 
scalp hut their own.” 

“White man mighty warrior,” said the In¬ 
dian, relief in his crafty eyes. “Lynx no for¬ 
get. Lynx tell white man Muskrat and Tall 
Pine prisoners in Huron camp. Maybe Lynx 
help to escape, eh?” 

“Muskrat and Tall Pine,” repeated Leather¬ 
stocking, curiously; then he remembered that 
these were the Indian names for Hutter and 
March. 

“Are you tellin’ the truth, Injin?” he de¬ 
manded fiercely. 

“Lynx not lie to mighty warrior,” the Huron 
declared. “Rivenoak capture Muskrat and Tall 
Pine. Now tie to stake. Lynx go free, Lynx: 
help them, eh?” 

“All right,” agreed Leatherstocking, lower- 


62 LEATHERSTOCKING 

ing his rifle. “You do what you can, but do 
it quick!” 

The Lynx leaped to his feet and came for¬ 
ward, one hand outstretched white man fashion. 
Leatherstocking took it in a friendly grip, and 
the Indian ran off across the clearing into 
which the first gray light of dawn was strug¬ 
gling against the retreating forces of night. 
Leatherstocking, now determined to go to Musk¬ 
rat Castle without further loss of time, started 
back towards the beach when a sudden click 
from across the clearing caused him to stop. 
He knew it was the click of a rifle and he was 
certain that rifle was in the hands of the Lynx. 
Instantly he aimed his own weapon towards 
the spot where he had last seen the Huron, 
and fired just as a flash from the bushes told 
him that his enemy had fired at the same mo¬ 
ment. The Indian’s shot went wild, but Leath¬ 
erstocking’s found its mark as the howl of pain 
from the underbrush evidenced. 

Waiting for no further developments, Leath¬ 
erstocking forced his way through the bushes, 
crossed the strip of beach at a bound and 
shoved his canoe into the water. He leaped 
in and soon was speeding northward towards 
beleaguered Muskrat Castle, the three canoes 
trailing along behind him. 


CHAPTER VI 


A MAID-AT-ABMS 

When Judith Hutter frantically slammed 
and bolted the door in the faces of the savage 
horde, the despair in her heart told her that 
her victory was but temporary. For two girls, 
unaided, to hold Muskrat Castle against a 
bloodthirsty war party of Hurons, seemed an 
impossible task. Even now the stout slabs of 
which the door was built were creaking under 
the blows of half a dozen tomahawks, and the 
awful cries of the red warriors increased in 
volume as the weather-beaten wood gave under 
the onslaught. 

Quickly rousing herself from the daze terror 
had thrown about her faculties, Judith reached 
for the powder horn and pulled out the plug 
that closed its pointed end. She dropped the 
rifle butt on the floor and tilted the horn into 
the muzzle. A few black grains trickled out 
and then— The horn was empty! Judith 
had used the last of the precious contents for 
her first shot at the enemy. 

White-lipped she turned to her sister, the 
63 


64 LEATHERSTOCKING 

rifle clattering to the floor from her nerveless 
fingers. 

“This is the end, Hetty,” she whispered. 
“There is no more powder!” 

The younger girl looked at her sister uncom- 
prehendingly and then a faint smile came 
over her face. 

“Wait!” she cried. 

Hetty ran across the room and entered her 
father’s sleeping quarters. 

With a crash the outer door was split from 
top to bottom and bulged inward under the 
terrific assault from without. Judith reached 
for the rifle and, suddenly realizing that it was 
powerless to aid her, she clasped her hands in 
an agony of despair. 

“Judith, see!” came the voice of Hetty. 
‘ ‘ Father had them hidden! ’ 9 

Judith whirled about and saw her sister 
holding out to her a freshly opened keg of 
powder and a silver-mounted pistol. 

Now the Castle shook with the blows on the 
shattered door, and with a crash the wood gave 
way, crumpling inward. Through the open¬ 
ing a savage leaped, followed by three of his 
comrades. They crouched, tomahawks ready 
to swing, and advanced stealthily towards the 
two girls. 


65 


A MAID-AT-ARMS 

The end was now only a matter of seconds. 
Judith felt it and yet hers was not the spirit 
to meet death without one supreme effort. 

Sweeping Hetty behind her, she grasped the 
open powder keg under her arm and, turning 
towards the Indians, she calmly inserted the 
muzzle of the pistol into the mass of black 
grains. The Indians realized instantly the 
meaning of the action, but Judith did not de¬ 
pend on pantomime. 

4 ‘One step and I fire into the powder,” she 
said, with deadly determination. 

The Hurons drew back. 

“White girl not fool,” called a warrior from 
the doorway. “Fire in powder, kill self—kill 

all.” 

Judith laughed in desperation. 

“White girl prefers death to becoming 
Mingo prisoner,” she declared. “Go back to 
your rafts or I’ll fire!” 

She took a step forward and forced the pis¬ 
tol muzzle deeper into the powder. 

Whether or not they understood her words, 
the Hurons labored under no delusions as to her 
intention. The warriors that had entered 
backed hurriedly to the shattered door, where 
they stood looking about them in evident fear. 
Relentlessly the girl came on with the death- 


66 LEATHERSTOCKING 

dealing powder keg and pistol held before her. 

For a moment the Hnrons hesitated, then 
with wild cries they turned and fled, falling 
over each other in their attempts to gain the 
safety of the rafts. Judith paid no attention 
to their haste. She knew she had won. With 
measured step she passed through the door¬ 
way and out onto the staging which was now 
bathed in the first rays of the morning sun. 

The rafts with their savage crews were be¬ 
ing poled speedily away from the staging in 
the direction of the shore. Judith watched un¬ 
til they were beached at the headland and then 
she turned wearily back to the Castle. Now 
that the danger was over, her splendid nerve 
broke and she threw herself down in a chair 
as her body shook with sobs. 

“Judith, dear,” pleaded Hetty, placing her 
arms about her sister’s shoulders, “please calm 
yourself, please do. We have nothing to fear 
now. We placed ourselves in God’s hands and 
He showed us the way to turn back our ene¬ 
mies.” 

“Never a word of praise for Hetty, who 
found the means of our deliverance?” Judith 
asked, smiling through her tears. “Without 
you, little sister, we should indeed have been 
lost. But, come, it is folly to think more about 


A MAID-AT-ARMS 67 

it. We are safe, and very soon father will be 
here, and Hurry Harry, and—” 

“And Leatherstocking,” finished Hetty, a 
look of childish inquiry in her eyes. “Judith, 
why did you name him last when you thought 
of him first ?” 

“Why, child, what do you mean!” asked 
Judith, her face flushing at her sister’s words. 

“I don’t know why I said it,” replied Hetty, 
earnestly, “but I’m sure it’s true. I’m sure 
you’ve been thinking much about him since we 
first saw him yesterday.” 

Judith did not answer. She looked away, 
obviously embarrassed at the turn the conver¬ 
sation had taken, and busied herself with 
clearing away the debris of the shattered 
door. 

“Halloo, Judith! Halloo, Hetty!” came a 
cry from without, and the two girls ran out 
on the staging to see Leatherstocking paddling 
rapidly towards the Castle towing the three 
canoes. 

With joy in her heart, Judith waved to him 
and ran to the edge of the wharf to help him 
make his line fast to the piling. 

Leatherstocking jumped lightly to the stag¬ 
ing and looked at the girls, deep concern in his 
eyes. 


68 LEATHERSTOCKING 

“1 heerd firin’ and shouts down thisaway,” 
lie said. “Did the Injins attack you?” 

In answer Judith pointed to the shattered 
door and in a few words told him what had 
happened. 

“And you drove ’em away!” he repeated in¬ 
credulously. “What a girl—what a girl!” 

If Judith had flushed at Hetty’s words, her 
face grew crimson now as she read the 
frank admiration in Leather stocking’s eyes. 
But quickly recovering her composure, she 
asked: 

“Where is father? And Hurry Harry?” 

“I’ve had news to tell you,” he answered, 
shaking his head seriously. i ‘ They’re not dead, 
leastwise I don’t cal’late the Hurons would kill 
’em so soon. But they fell in with a war party 
and was captured. They’re in the Huron camp 
now. When I see I couldn’t be of any help 
to them, and heerd the firin’ from this end of 
the lake, I come right away.” 

Judith swayed and would have fallen had 
not Leather stocking’s arm clumsily encircled 
her. 

“Now, it won’t do to give way,” he said 
gently. “Your father and Hurry Harry are 
safe for a while. I’m to meet Chingachgook 
at the big rock an hour before sunset and to- 


A MAID-AT-ARMS 69 

gether we’ll find a way to save ’em, depend 
npon it.” 

The young man’s calm assurance and the air 
of absolute dependability it gave him engen¬ 
dered in Judith a confidence that magically 
stilled her fears. She looked up at him with 
trustful eyes and smiled through her tears. 
Again Leather stocking felt the spell of her 
beauty. His arm tightened about her and he 
drew her unresisting to him. Unmindful of 
the presence of Hetty, Judith pressed her cheek 
against the buckskin-covered shoulder of the 
young hunter and clung to him. 

In a flash Leather stocking came to himself. 
Like words impressed upon the mind in an 
evil dream, there came back to him the com¬ 
ment of Hurry Harry March, “—for never a 
white man goes near the lake that she don’t 
see him or that don’t see her.” 

Judith Hutter, the woman of Glimmerglass! 

Leatherstocking shuddered involuntarily as 
he recalled the coupling of her name with that 
of the English officer in one of the forts on 
the Mohawk. His arm dropped to his side 
and he drew back. The spell was broken. His 
eyes had shown plainly what he felt for the 
few seconds the charm held, and the girl must 
have seen. His face hardened and he averted 


70 


LEATHERSTOCKING 

his gaze, turning deliberately away from her. 

“We must bide our time,” he said casually. 
“Your father and March are safe for a while, 
I dare say.” 

All morning Leatherstocking maintained a 
moody silence seated on the doorstep and gaz¬ 
ing steadily towards the distant spot on shore 
where he had last seen his .companions. From 
his attitude one would have judged him to be 
working out some plan to rescue them from 
the Huron camp. As a matter of fact, hi& 
thoughts were no farther away than the bound¬ 
aries of Muskrat Castle. More specifically, 
they were centered upon Judith Hutter, and 
they were such as to cause him deep concern. 

When Hurry Harry March had spoken of 
what he was pleased to call “Jude’s folly,” 
Leatherstocking had paid little heed. He had 
seen few white women and they meant nothing 
to him. If he had ever given the matter any 
thought at all, it is probable that he accepted 
folly as one of the attributes of the sex, and 
the fact that it was numbered among the char¬ 
acteristics of Judith was only to be expected. 

But now he had seen Judith, and the recollec¬ 
tion of March’s words caused him deeper pain 
than he cared to admit. March must have 
made a mistake; Judith couldn’t be other than 


A MAID-AT-ARMS 71 

all that was good and true. Leatherstocking 
bent his head forward, resting it on his clasped 
hands. For the first time in his life a sigh 
of anguish escaped him, and a woman was the 
cause. 

As for Judith, if she gave the young man 
a thought, she betrayed no sign of it in word 
or action. She busied herself about the Castle 
quite as was her wont. She was not a little 
puzzled at the expression that had come over 
his face as he pressed her to him, but, woman¬ 
like, she put it down to sudden embarrassment 
at Hetty’s presence. Vanity was not one of 
the least of Judith’s traits. It greatly out¬ 
weighed her powers of perception. Withal, 
she was rather pleased than otherwise, for she 
felt certain that Leatherstocking could not long 
maintain the air of aloofness that had twice 
caused him to interrupt conversations that gave 
promise of leading to less formal grounds of 
friendship. 

When the three gathered about the table for 
the midday meal, Judith broke the silence. 

“You seem sure the Hurons will not harm 
father and Harry,” she said. “Why?” 

“ ’Tisn’t the In jin way,” answered Leather¬ 
stocking, reassuringly. “There’s nought to be 
gained by killin’ ’em so soon. To an Injin, 


72 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


loot comes first and scalps later. The Mingos 
cal date the Castle contains loot. They want 
it, only they can’t get it without canoes. What 
they will do is offer to trade your father and 
March for what may be found here. Failin’ 
that, they’ll kill, but not afore that.” 

“Then why couldn’t we offer something for 
father’s freedom?” asked Hetty. “That would 
be the best way.” 

“Not yet,” cautioned Leather stocking. 
“Wait till I meet Chingachgook. The Sarpent 
will have a word to say.” 

“You seem to have great confidence in this 
man,” remarked Judith. 

“ ’Tis confidence rightly placed,” he re¬ 
turned. “Chingachgook is the son of a chief 
and I know no white man I’d trust so fur.” 

The long August afternoon drew on, and as 
the hour approached for Leatherstocking’s de¬ 
parture for the big rock to meet the Mohican, 
Judith ventured to offer a suggestion. 

“We three can navigate the ark,” she said. 
“Let Hetty and me go with you.” 

Leatherstocking observed her calmly. 

“Maybe it would be as well,” he agreed. 
“The Injins have been here once. They might 
come ag’in.” 

And so it was settled. 


CHAPTER VII 

CHINGACHGOOK ’S ESCAPE 

As the sun dipped towards the western hills 
on the last stage of its journey, Leather stock¬ 
ing roused himself from his moody contempla¬ 
tion of the wooded shore and made the ark 
ready for departure. Judith, who had spent 
the afternoon putting the Castle to rights and 
carefully returning her father’s belongings to 
the chest from which the Indian intruder had 
pulled them, now came out on the staging fol¬ 
lowed by Hetty. With Leatherstocking’s as¬ 
sistance, the two had succeeded in partially 
repairing the shattered door, and this Hetty 
pulled shut behind her. 

“If all’s ready, now,” said Leatherstocking, 
looking up from his task of raising the sail, 
“we’d best be startin’, else we’ll keep the Sar- 
pent waitin’, and that might be onhealthy with 
the Mingos so close by.” 

“We are ready,” replied Judith, “and let 
us start at once, please. This inaction gives 
me too much time to think of father’s plight.” 

She looked towards the shore and the agony 
73 


74 LEATHERSTOCKING 

of apprehension that she was suffering showed 
so plainly in her eyes that Leatherstocking felt 
a pang of remorse. 

4 ‘There, now, Judith, my girl,” he said 
gently, as he helped her to the deck of the 
ark. “ ’Twill not do for you to give way now. 
We’re just on the varge of cornin’ on the way 
to bring about rescuin’ your father and Hurry 
Harry. Be brave, and we won’t fail. The Sar- 
pent wasn’t named so without reason. He’s 
as crafty as any Mingo chief in the colony.” 

Judith faintly smiled her thanks at his words 
of encouragement. She felt that he meant 
them, that they had not been uttered merely 
for the purpose of reassuring her. Soon she 
was bent on the task immediately ahead and, 
with Hetty’s aid, the ark was swung about by 
means of the sweeps until the freshening breeze 
caught the sail. Instantly the craft leaped for¬ 
ward and bore directly towards the headland. 

Leatherstocking, although not versed in the 
handling of anything more intricate than a 
birch bark canoe, decided to keep the ark close 
to shore to guard against the possibility of 
being carried off the course he had mapped 
out as the most direct to the big rock where 
he was to meet Chingachgook. He was in no 
wise familiar with the topography of that sec- 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 75 

tion of the country and he had only the vaguest 
idea as to the exact location of the big rock. 
As nearly as he could determine, it was only 
a short distance below the point where he had 
landed Hutter and March the night before, and 
in this belief he was supported by Judith. 

“It must be the rock at the mouth of the 
little stream that empties into the lake just 
beyond that arm of the forest/ 7 she said, point¬ 
ing towards the south shore. 

Leatherstocking looked in the direction indi¬ 
cated and a troubled expression came over his 
tanned face. 

“Then there’s need for haste,” he returned, 
“for unless my cal’lations is far off, that’s 
right beside the spot where the Mingos took 
their prisoners last night.” 

The ark was drawing near the headland, but 
so intent were the two on their observations 
that they failed to see an extraordinary object 
that came floating steadily and directly towards 
them. The trees growing down to the water’s 
edge cut off a large part of the breeze that 
had speeded them on a few moments before, 
and they were all but becalmed in water as 
glassy as a completely sheltered forest pool. 

“Judith! Leatherstocking!” cried Hetty. 
“Look!” 


76 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Leatherstocking turned quickly and followed 
the girPs excited gestures with his eyes. 

There, moving toward them with increasing 
speed, was what appeared to be a small island 
of dried underbrush and leaves that rose per¬ 
haps six feet from the surface of the water. 
This floating island was fully twelve feet 
square, and as the three looked in amazement, 
a thin wisp of bluish smoke rose from one cor¬ 
ner, followed by a tongue of flame that in an in¬ 
stant seemed to spread over the entire mound 
of twigs and branches. 

“The Indians!” screamed Judith, pointing 
frantically to two copper-colored bodies that 
were now visible in the water guiding the flam¬ 
ing mass directly towards the ark. 

Even as they looked, an eddying swirl of 
smoke, scattered by the breeze, disclosed a hid¬ 
eously painted Huron, who, blazing torch in 
hand, was spreading fire to all parts of the 
dried underbrush. As the tongues of flame 
roared about him, he gave vent to a terrifying 
war cry of triumph and leaped overboard, his 
naked body passing unscathed through the 
flames. 

“The sweeps!” cried Leatherstocking, throw¬ 
ing his full strength into a pull at one of the 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 77 

long poles. “Swing clear of that, or we’re 
lost!” 

But lie was too late. Propelled by a final 
vicious drive from the powerful arms of the 
swimming savages, the blazing 4 ‘island” bore 
down on the helpless ark and crashed against 
it amidships, the flames searing the faces of 
the three occupants and sweeping the tinder 
sides of their craft. 

The time for words was past. Leatherstock- 
^ ing knew that the next few seconds would tell 
whether the ark was to continue its journey 
or become a floating funeral pyre for himself 
and the two girls. The tongues of fire squirm¬ 
ing towards him and the acrid smoke blinding 
him and tearing Vt his throat, he unshipped 
one of the sweeps and drove its end into the 
roaring mass. A desperate shove forced the 
ark away from the fire-float and Leatherstock¬ 
ing repeated the operation. 

The same thought had come to Judith and 
Hetty, and they were using the other sweep 
for a similar purpose. For a moment it seemed 
that their efforts were in vain, for each time 
the float seemed irresistibly drawn back to the 
ark as the lodestone draws the needle. But 
finally Leatherstocking managed to force the 


78 LEATHERSTOCKING 

float past the prow of the ark and it drifted 
aimlessly into clear water. 

Freed from that menace, the three immedi¬ 
ately turned their attention to the task of put¬ 
ting out the flames where the weather-beaten 
timbers of the ark had become ignited. 

This task was soon accomplished, for the 
sturdy craft had bravely withstood this assault 
by fire. Out in the open water the blazing raft 
was rapidly burning itself out, but Leather¬ 
stocking wasted no time in contemplation of 
the terrible danger that had been thus nar¬ 
rowly averted, for he realized that Huron 
trickery outwitted but presaged greater trick¬ 
ery to come. Safety lay only in flight and even 
then its attainment was problematical, for no 
man could foretell when or where the Indians 
would strike next. 

Leatherstocking quickly reshipped the sweeps 
and in a few moments the ark was making its 
ponderous way out towards the center of the 
lake, where there was a possibility of breeze 
enough to make up some of the precious time 
already lost. In this conjecture, Leatherstock- 
ing was right. Once outside the area sheltered 
by the great trees, the breeze made itself felt 
again and the sail stiffened before it. Driven 
forward by both sweeps and wind, the ark 


V 



s/,y//.\ 




Mm:: 

mm 


•8 

'o 

•a 

c 

■K» 

<1 




■*4 

►4 


S* 




SHE CALMLY INSERTED THE MUZZLE OF THE PISTOL INTO THE GUNPOWDER. 










' 






V 




















CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 79 

scudded over the waters of Glimmerglass due 
south towards the big rock and Chingachgook. 

L The hour of meeting had passed. This wor¬ 
ried Leatherstocking not a little, partly because 
he did not wish to keep his friend waiting, but 
more because he feared the proximity of the 
Huron camp to the big rock might mean that 
the Mohican would fall into the clutches of 
his traditional enemies. This, he realized, 
would not deter the fearless Chingachgook. It 
was the Huron war party he was seeking. 
He had known of its presence three days be¬ 
fore when the treacherous Briarthorn had 
stolen Wah-ta-Wah. 

But Leather stocking, lacking the redskin’s 
stoical belief in fate, would have felt far more 
at ease could he but be assured that Chingach¬ 
gook would exercise ordinary caution. Know¬ 
ing the Mohican as he did, he labored under 
no delusions on that score. Chingachgook 
would as soon face seventy Hurons as one, 
especially when his beloved Wah-ta-wah was 
in peril. 

So despite the best speed of the ark, Leather¬ 
stocking was chafing with impatience long be¬ 
fore it drew within sight of the huge bowlder 
that now loomed up dead ahead and less than 
fifty yards away. He scanned the surface of 


80 LEATHERSTOCKING 

the rock and as much of the adjacent territory 
as came within his range of vision, and was 
disturbed to see two figures skulking in the un¬ 
derbrush that jutted out on shore a short dis¬ 
tance below the point where the stream merged 
its waters with those of Glimmerglass. 

“Steady,” he called softly to Judith, who 
stood by the mast. “We’ll stop here and wait. 
There’s two Mingos in them bushes and 
Mingos never mean good.” 

He made the sweeps fast and lowered the 
sail. The ark came to a gentle stop and Leath¬ 
erstocking again peered ashore. 

This time there was no question about what 
he saw. The two Hurons were standing bolt 
upright, their eyes turned intently on the rock. 
Apparently they had not noticed the ark. 

Suddenly a piercing war cry rang out. 
Leather stocking thrilled, for he knew it came 
from the Mohican. At the same instant a tall, 
lithe figure rose on top of the rock and stood 
looking defiantly at the Hurons. From a spot 
behind the rock, two rifle shots rang out. The 
upright figure turned in the direction whence 
they came and his own rifle answered. A cry 
of pain told that his aim had been true. 

“It’s the Sarpent!” cried Leatherstocking. 
Then cupping his hands, he shouted: 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 81 

‘ ‘ Sarpent! Swim for it! ’ ’ 

Chingachgook waved one arm in answer, and 
with a defiant glance at his foes, sprang into 
the lake as Huron bullets and arrows splashed 
the water around him. 

To those on the ark it did not seem possible 
that the Mohican chief could win through the 
veritable rain of Huron bullets that chopped 
up the water about him. Leatherstocking stood 
as one transfixed, heedless of the fierce yells 
from shore, heedless even of Judith’s hands 
which were clutching at his arm. The one 
thought in his mind was for Chingachgook, 
who, alone, was battling against such over¬ 
powering odds. 

For the moment Leatherstocking realized 
that he had been considering the battle in the 
water not as a participant but rather as an 
onlooker, and he cursed himself for the valu¬ 
able time thus lost. Chingachgook was swim¬ 
ming away from the ark, bearing off to the 
right, and thereby drawing the fire of his foes 
away from the ark’s occupants, regardless of 
the fact that in so doing he was lengthening 
the distance he would have to swim to gain 
safety, for it was apparent that he hoped to 
circle one end of the craft and then board it 
from the offshore side. 


82 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Leatherstocking shouted a word of encour¬ 
agement to the Mohican and, withdrawing his 
arm from Judith’s grasp, he swung his rifle to 
his shoulder and fired. A Huron who at the mo¬ 
ment was drawing a fine bead on Chingach- 
gook from the top of the rock, crumpled up and 
lay still. 

For the next few minutes Leather stocking’s 
rifle spoke as rapidly as his trained fingers 
could load it. Judith and Hetty watched him 
in awe, for here was a most amazing trans¬ 
formation. He seemed suddenly to have be¬ 
come the incarnation of that Spirit of Destruc¬ 
tion of which redskins speak only in whispers. 
Human traits apparently had flown and left 
only a heartless mechanism which with ap¬ 
palling accuracy hurled death at the savages 
on shore. 

Completely demoralized by this unlooked-for 
interference, the Hurons broke for cover and 
of the moment’s respite thus gained Chingach- 
gook took advantage. He was now about 
twenty yards below the ark, proceeding directly 
away from shore. With no apparent cessation 
of speed, he turned and his lithe body slid be¬ 
low the surface. Thus protected, he swam rap¬ 
idly under water and soon was clambering 
aboard the ark. 




CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 83 

The Hurons had had time to rally after the 
devastating onslaught of Leatherstocking and 
made haste to shift their attack. From the 
cover of a screen of underbrush they now 
poured their fire at the ark. Leatherstocking, 
however, had foreseen this move and already 
had ordered Judith and Hetty to take refuge 
in the cabin. 

“Quick, Chief!” he called to the Mohican, 
who was calmly regarding the puffs of smoke 
from shore. “We must get out of here! Take 
that sweep—” 

But the Indian needed no suggestion. He 
swung one of the long sweeps into position 
while Leatherstocking performed a like service 
for the other. Under their strokes the ark 
came about and made for the open lake. The 
rifle fire continued, but soon they were out of 
range and Leatherstocking took a moment’s 
rest from the arduous work of manipulating 
the sweep. 

The cessation of the shots told Judith and 
Hetty that the danger was past, and they came 
out on deck. There stood Leatherstocking and 
beside him was the Mohican, his copper-colored 
body dripping from the waters of the lake. 

“This is Chingachgook, the Mohican I told 
you about,” said Leatherstocking by way of 




84 LEATHERSTOCKING 

introduction. “ Chingachgook means Big Sar- 
pent.’’ 

The Mohican inclined his fine head with the 
dignity befitting his race. Judith stepped for¬ 
ward impulsively, her hand extended, and the 
Indian solemnly took it in his own. 

“I am happy that you are safe,” she said sin¬ 
cerely, “and that we were not too late.” 

“Plenty time,” responded Chingachgook. 

“These are the daughters of Floatin’ Tom 
Hutter, Chief,” Leatherstocking continued. 
“Tom and Hurry Harry March—Tall Pine—« 
are now sojournin’ in the Huron camp as pris¬ 
oners of war.” 

“Chingachgook know,” nodded the Mohican, 
gravely. “ Chingachgook in Huron camp last 
night. See Tall Pine and one called Muskrat.” 

“Aye, that’s him,” said Leather stocking. 

“Oh, tell us about father,” pleaded Hetty, 
clasping Chingachgook’s hand. 

“Not now,” objected the Indian, shaking his 
head. “Get safe place, then talk. Here not 
safe.” 

“The Sarpent’s right,” exclaimed Leather¬ 
stocking. “We’re too nigh to shore to do any 
talkin’. Them Hurons won’t be in any too 
good humor now that we’ve tricked ’em twice 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 85 

to-day, so we’d best make for the Castle at 
once.” 

So saying, be gave a lusty pull on the sweep 
and the Indian followed his example. 

Much as she would have liked to press 
Chingachgook for details of her father’s cap¬ 
ture and his treatment at the hands of the 
savages, she realized that safety lay in a 
speedy return to Muskrat Castle. Wearily she 
dropped upon a bench on the deck forward 
of the cabin and resigned herself to as patient 
a wait as might be possible under the circum¬ 
stances. Hetty soon joined her sister and in 
silence the two gazed away into the gathering 
twilight. 

The scene that lay before them was indeed 
one of peace and beauty sorely at variance with 
the grim realities which twice that day had 
been brought home to them. Glimmerglass, 
now a dim mirror in the frame of dark forest 
that surrounded it, had been as a gentle mother 
to these two girls from the day when Tom 
Hutter had sadly lowered the body of that 
vaguely remembered being to her final resting 
place beneath its waters. 

In the years that had followed, years during 
which Judith and Hetty had blossomed from 


86 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


girlhood into young womanhood, Glimmerglass, 
Muskrat Castle and the ark had seemed places 
apart from the rest of this wilderness world 
that made up His Majesty’s Colony of New 
York. From time to time travelers from the 
settlements had brought word of the seemingly 
never-ending warfare between England and 
France for possession of this land, but the 
actual conflicts had taken place to the east in 
the valley of Hudson’s River or farther to the 
north where the mighty St. Lawrence flowed to 
the sea. 

It is true that roving bands of Indians, for 
the greater part Canadas, at times brought war 
to the dwellers on Glimmerglass, but such in¬ 
stances were to be expected. The Canadas 
were not friendly with the “Yengees” and 
there was reason why they should not be. The 
French held Canada and French influence made 
itself felt in various ways, especially with the 
Iroquois. Therefore, the occasional approach 
of a war party meant little more than a few 
days’ close confinement in the stronghold of 
Muskrat Castle. 

But now all seemed changed. The still 
waters of Glimmerglass no longer reflected a 
picture of peace. The dark forests, stretching 
away to the north, held the menace of advanc- 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 87 

ing French and Indians, stealing down and en¬ 
veloping all that fair land in a clond of war. 
No longer was this war a distant and intangible 
thing. The capture of Floatin’ Tom and Hurry 
Harry had made it a personal and immediate 
conflict. The Huron war party now encamped 
on the shore of Glimmerglass was there for a 
deadly purpose. It was but the beginning of 
the French Commander’s descent upon the 
scattered English settlements as a movement 
calculated to envelop the wilderness forts along 
the Mohawk and even farther south. 

As Judith gazed off across the darkening 
waters, she felt a keen sense of loneliness. Her 
father, although he had objected forcefully to 
her frivolity and seemingly never satisfied de¬ 
sire for admiration, had always been to her a 
symbol of safety. His ingenuity had fash¬ 
ioned the Castle and the ark, and his bravery 
had been the strong bulwark between his daugh¬ 
ters and the dangers of this wild land. Now 
that bulwark had been cruelly removed. Even 
Hurry Harry March could no longer be de¬ 
pended upon for aid. Reckless and undepend¬ 
able, not more steady than the thistledown that 
is driven here and there by every breeze that 
stirs, Hurry Harry, nevertheless, would have 
been a staff to lean on. 


88 LE ATHERSTOCKIN G 

Now the defenders of the ark and the Castle 
were two strangers, a white youth who frat¬ 
ernized with redskins, and an Indian chief. The 
thought came with a distinct shock as Judith 
for the first time thus analyzed the facts. 
Turning her head, she studied the two men 
who in silence were driving the ark steadily 
towards Muskrat Castle. 

The Indian’s copper-colored body, now a 
shadowy brown in the dusk, swung forward and 
back rhythmically and with ease. The effort 
seemed no tax at all on the splendid muscles of 
his naked shoulders and chest. The scalp lock 
stiffly surmounting his shaven head had the ap¬ 
pearance in silhouette of the proud crest of a 
Roman helmet such as one of Caesar’s warriors 
might have worn. Over the left ear dangled 
a hawk’s feather, its position designating its 
wearer as a Mohican, just as its place in the 
scalp lock would have indicated a Huron. 

Withal the Mohican in no wise suffered un¬ 
der this critical appraisal by the white girl. 
He was a chief, and the son of a chief; his 
lineage was pure—uncrossed by the blood of 
other tribes. His leadership was a birthright, 
and he assumed it as proudly as though his 
people had been as the trees of the forest in 
number. His haughty bearing gave no evidence 


CHINGACHGOOK’S ESCAPE 8 ® 

that the Mohicans were even then all but a 
vanished people or that the presence of his 
wigwam at the Delaware camp fire was the be¬ 
ginning of the end. Pride of race could not 
die even though his tribe was fast fading from 
the earth. 

Now Judith’s eyes rested upon Leather stock¬ 
ing, and in him she could find no fault. Tall 
and straight as the pine, his buckskin clad fig¬ 
ure gave promise of fully as much strength as 
did the body of the Indian. She knew him to 
be fearless, for she had seen him face the blaz¬ 
ing raft and the rifles of a score of Hurons 
without a tremor. Just one question concern¬ 
ing him rose in her mind. Why had he drawn 
away from her so suddenly that morning? 

Judith was not at all unaware of her physi¬ 
cal charms. If any doubts regarding her beauty 
had ever existed in her mind, they had long 
since been dissipated by the words of various 
of His Majesty’s young officers who by chance 
or intention frequently found themselves in the 
vicinity of Glimmerglass. What their lips had 
withheld—and that was very little—their eyes 
had spoken. But never before had she seen 
in the eyes of any man the expression of bit¬ 
terness that had flashed upon her as she had 
raised her face to his there on the staging. It 


90 LEATHERSTOCKXNG 

was as though some slumbering hatred for her 
had suddenly awakened in his mind—but why? 

The girl was roused from this unhappy train 
of thought by the gentle bumping of the ark 
against the piles of the Castle. Leatherstock¬ 
ing jumped to the staging and made a line fast. 

“All safe and sound,” he exclaimed, “least¬ 
wise for the present. Come, Judith, my girl, 
your hand.” 

Judith mechanically reached out her hand 
and allowed him to help her to the platform. 
Then followed Hetty and last Chingachgook. 
Without a word, Judith started for the door, 
but Chingachgook laid a detaining hand on her 
shoulder. 

“Maybe Huron not on shore,” he cautioned 
in a low voice. “Maybe in big wigwam. 
Wait!” 

The Mohican moved noiselessly toward the 
door which he swung open. Then he was swal¬ 
lowed up in the darkness. For a moment that 
seemed many moments in length, the three 
waited, scarcely breathing. Then from the 
doorway came the welcome voice of the Mo¬ 
hican. 

“It is well,” he said. 


CHAPTER VIII 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 

Although Muskrat Castle had safeguarded 
the Hutters from all danger as far back 
as Judith could remember, all now seemed 
changed. It had already been invaded and its 
chief defender was gone. Small wonder, then, 
that, upon entering, a feeling of apprehension 
came over her and for a moment she shrank 
back from the dark entry. Only the touch of 
her sister’s hand upon her shoulder brought 
back her presence of mind, and in haste, as if 
to conceal the fear that was clutching coldly 
at her heart, she stepped inside. 

“No make light,” came the voice of Ching- 
achgook. “Hurons too near.” 

“Cover the windows first,” spoke up Leath¬ 
erstocking, stumbling forward as he did so to¬ 
wards one of the two rectangular openings in 
the front wall. 

The gray oblong was suddenly blotted out 
as he closed and bolted the shutter; then, care¬ 
fully feeling his way, he crossed the room to 
the other window which he likewise covered, 

91 


92 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


“Now the Mingos won’t know whether we’re 
at home or not,” he said, “unless they watched 
us land. But, anyway, we won’t be livin’ tar¬ 
gets.” 

Thoroughly familiar with every inch of the 
Castle, Judith quickly found flint and steel, and 
it was hut the work of a moment to set the 
tinder on the hearth aglow. From this, two 
candles were lighted and the darkness with¬ 
drew to the far corners of the room. 

Hetty took upon herself the task of pre¬ 
paring a hasty supper for her companions. 
Cold venison and a coarse wheaten bread of 
her own baking were its sole constituents, but 
Leatherstocking and Chingachgook seemed sat¬ 
isfied that what was lacking in variety was am¬ 
ply made up for by quantity. Hetty ate little, 
while Judith made no pretense of eating. 

“Now that we are safe for the moment, Mo¬ 
hican,” she said to Chingachgook, “you must 
tell us what you can of my father.” 

The Indian was silent a moment, and then 
replied, slowly, “Muskrat prisoner. Tall Pine 
prisoner. Hurons bind them to sapling. Riv- 
enoak not take scalp now. Wait—get Killer- 
of-the-Deer, Wild Flower and Pale Lily.” 

Judith shrank back in horror. 

“Aye, ’tis my scalp he wants, not yours, 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 93 

explained Leatherstocking in an attempt to re¬ 
assure her. 

i ‘But our fate—Hetty’s and mine—would he 
far worse,” the girl interrupted, shuddering 
at the thought. 

Leatherstocking made no reply. 

“Pale Lily,” went on Chingachgook, indicat¬ 
ing Hetty with a wave of his hand, “she be 
safe. Hurons say she child of Great Manitou. 
No harm her.” 

Hetty looked up in mild surprise. 

“Then, of course, they wouldn’t harm Ju¬ 
dith,” she said, with childlike simplicity. 

“Wild Flower he Huron squaw,” declared 
the Mohican. “Rivenoak promise warriors.” 

Judith covered her face with her hands. 
When she looked up again there was a light 
of grim determination in her eyes. 

“Stop!” she commanded, rising and stand¬ 
ing before the Mohican and Leatherstocking. 
“Enough of this! I am not interested in hear¬ 
ing what horrors are in store for us if we fall 
into Huron hands. Before that can happen, 
I will kill both Hetty and myself, so we may 
dismiss it from our minds. There is but one 
thing worthy of our thoughts now, and that 
is what steps we may take to bring about the 
rescue of my father—and Harry March.” 


94 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


The last came almost as an afterthought, 
and Leatherstocking thrilled at the realization 
that even in this hour of trial, March’s safety 
could be almost forgotten. Then he flushed 
with shame at this ignoble sentiment. March 
was his friend, his companion on many a hunt¬ 
ing trail, hut March was also a thorn in his 
side. In their first conversation regarding the 
Hutters, this forest rover had blackened Ju¬ 
dith’s character in one breath, and in the next 
had expressed his intention of marrying her if 
she would agree. The two statements could 
not be reconciled, at least not by a mind as 
simple and direct in its workings as Leather¬ 
stocking’s, and he knew that one of them was 
a lie. But how to decide which was falsehood 
and which truth presented a problem that even 
Judith’s apparently slight regard for March’s 
safety failed to render less formidable. 

“Judith,” exclaimed Hetty, in a tone of re¬ 
buke at this outburst from her sister, “it is 
sinful even to talk of taking human life, but if 
mine will save father, I will gladly give it. God 
has preserved us from our enemies thus far. 
He will show us the way now if we seek His 
counsel.” 

Chingachgook looked curiously at the girl. 
Such utterances but confirmed what Rivenoak 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 95 

had said regarding her protection at the hands 
of the Great Manitou. 

44 Come, Sarpent,” interrupted Leatherstock¬ 
ing. 4 4 You haven ’t told your story yet. What ’s 
the sitywation at the Mingo camp ? How strong 
are the varmints V’ 

44 Hurons plenty strong/’ replied Chingach- 
gook gravely. 44 See,” and four times he held 
up the fingers of both hands. 

4 4 Forty Mingos,” said Leatherstocking. 
44 Aye, that’s none too good. Well, go on.” 

By dint of many gestures and frequent lapses 
into the Delaware tongue to express thoughts 
that were beyond his limited vocabulary of 
English, the Mohican recounted his experiences 
from the moment of parting from Leatherstock¬ 
ing on his quest for Wah-ta-Wah up to his 
plunge into the waters of Glimmerglass that 
afternoon. Judith and Hetty listened with rapt 
attention as Chingachgook told of his pursuit 
of the treacherous Briarthorn, who, with all 
the craft of the 44 skulking fox,” had thrown 
countless false leads in the way of his pursuer, 
none of which, however, had had the desired 
effect. 

Keen as the hound on the scent, Chingach¬ 
gook time after time had picked up the trail 
of his enemy and fairly ran him to cover on 


96 LEATHERSTOCKING 

the outskirts of the Huron camp, which he had 
reached early the evening before. From a 
place of concealment he had witnessed the in¬ 
glorious return of the Huron warriors from 
their unsuccessful attempt to slay the occu¬ 
pants of the Castle and he had noted with no 
little amazement that the leader of this band 
was none other than Briarthorn. 

His heart had thrilled within him as he saw 
his beloved Wah-ta-Wah force her way through 
the ring of Hurons and impudently denounce 
the renegade Delaware for the coward he was. 
Then when the girl had been removed to a lodge 
under guard of an aged squaw, Chingachgook 
looked on at Rivenoak’s preparations for a sec¬ 
ond attack on the Castle. Waiting until the 
warriors had started out on their bloody mis¬ 
sion, the Mohican had left his hiding place 
and crept to the lodge in which Wah-ta-Wah 
was held captive. The squaw was sleeping and 
the maid was gazing with half-closed eyes into 
the night. 

This meeting of the Indian lovers was as 
the meetings of lovers the world over, and Ju¬ 
dith, all the romance of her emotional nature 
roused at Chingachgook’s heroic exploit, would 
have given much to hear its details. But the 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 97 

Mohican dismissed this interesting event with 
a gesture. 

“Moon go down,” he went on, “warriors 
return. Bring Muskrat and Tall Pine. Tie to 
saplings. Chingachgook crawl through grass, 
hide in bush. Then watch.” 

Rivenoak alone, according to the watcher, 
had held out for a postponement of the tor¬ 
turing of his captives. The warriors to a man, 
to say nothing of the women, demanded that 
the horrible punishment be meted out at once. 
But Rivenoak was firm. In the make-up of 
this ferocious redskin was no small measure 
of love for the spectacular. To kill two white 
men when there was still a third, as well as 
two white women to be accounted for, was not 
in keeping with his sense of fitness. With an 
air of finality, he ordered that the “Yengees” 
be closely guarded until he deemed it advisa¬ 
ble to proceed with their killing, and in this 
he was supported by the crafty Briarthorn, 
who thus curried favor with the one man he 
really feared in the Huron camp. Sullenly the 
warriors acceded to their chief’s command and 
dispersed to their lodges, leaving four of their 
number to guard the prisoners. 

Quiet settled over the camp and Chingach- 


98 LEATHERSTOCKING 

gook made ready to steal away to a safer hid¬ 
ing place when again the grim note of strife 
was sounded. 

From far down the lake shore a rifle cracked, 
and the warriors swarmed out to the now dying 
camp fire. Two of them rushed away in the 
direction whence came the shot and the others 
prepared themselves for whatever emergency 
might arise. Concealed in the hush hardly six 
feet away from the camp fire, Chingachgook 
watched intently. 

Suddenly, off in the darkness to his right 
and some distance away, a Huron war cry 
shattered the night silence and was instantly 
answered from the camp as two more warriors 
dashed into the underbrush to the aid of their 
comrades. By this time the entire war party 
was gathered about Rivenoak, shrilly demand¬ 
ing that he lead them to the attack, but again 
his iron will triumphed, and his people were 
perforce held in check. 

The minutes dragged themselves along until 
finally, when even Rivenoak’s power seemed 
destined to fail, the four Hurons crashed 
through the underbrush. They were walking 
slowly and picking their steps with care, and 
the watching Chingachgook saw that they were 
carrying a body—the body of a Huron. 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 99 

Up to the replenished fire they came, and 
gently laid their harden on the ground, as the 
assembled warriors and women crowded about. 
Pushing them rudely aside, Rivenoak stepped 
to the center of the ring and looked down on 
the figure that had all the semblance of death. 
In silence Rivenoak stood and in silence his 
fighting men watched him, hut from the women 
came the groans and lamentations peculiar to 
the race when death comes or threatens. 

“The Lynx is dead,” they chanted dolefully. 
“The Lynx has fallen at the hand of the Yen- 
gees ! ’ ’ 

“Silence!” commanded Rivenoak. “The 
Lynx lives!” 

It was true. The Lynx was still breathing, 
and consciousness was struggling back, but the 
gaping wound in his left breast said more 
plainly than words that death was but a few 
moments away. 

The eyelids fluttered and the Lynx looked 
up into the stern, impassive face of Rivenoak. 
His lips moved and Rivenoak bent forward to 
catch the faint words. 

“Yengee,” he gasped, his face drawn with 
the pain of the effort. “Yengee—eye of hawk 
^-finger of lightning—Yengee—better warrior 
t^than Lynx!” 


100 LEATHERSTOCKING 

A shudder passed through his body, and he 
lay still. The Lynx was dead. 

Now the Hurons went mad with rage. They 
rushed at the two white captives, crying out 
for blood in payment for the blood of the Lynx, 
and for a moment it seemed that Rivenoak 
would be trampled under the feet of these 
painted furies, but only for a moment. The 
chief grasped his tomahawk and literally beat 
his way through the milling warriors until he 
had reached the stakes where the Muskrat and 
the Tall Pine were bound, then he faced the 
mob. 

“Rivenoak is chief of the Hurons,” he 
roared, and his fierce eyes gave emphasis to 
the thunder of his voice. 

The warriors stopped in awe and instinc¬ 
tively drew back. 

“Muskrat and Tall Pine are captives of Riv¬ 
enoak,” he went on sternly. “They remain 
captives until Hurons bring in the Yengee who 
killed the Lynx.” 

He looked defiantly at the warriors who 
stood uneasily before him. 

“Rivenoak has spoken,” he concluded. 

Now Briarthorn, ever on the alert for an 
opportunity to impress the chief with his some- 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 101 


what doubtful loyalty, pushed forward from the 
ranks of the warriors. 

“Rivenoak is a wise chief,” he began, “and 
a mighty warrior. The white man who slew 
the Lynx is Leather stocking, whom the Dela¬ 
wares call Killer-of-the-Deer. He hates the 
Hurons. He is their deadly enemy. Every 
time his rifle speaks, a Huron falls, and at 
his belt dangles many Huron scalps. Let your 
bullets find Leatherstocking before the sun sets 
again. Bring in his scalp and with it bring 
the two white women that they may become 
Huron squaws!” 

This eloquent flight of imagination regarding 
Leatherstocking’s bloody intentions towards 
Hurons in general roused Briarthorn’s hearers 
to a frenzy of excitement. Proof of its truth, 
so far as they were concerned, was provided 
by the body of the Lynx that lay before them. 
With a scalp and two white women for loot, 
no obstacle was too great to overcome, but 
Rivenoak interfered at this point. 

“One of the white women is not for Huron 
hands,” he warned. “The Wild Flower alone 
may be made a squaw, but beware of the Pale 
Lily. She is touched of the Great Manitou!” 

Briarthorn was satisfied. The object of his 


102 LEATHERSTOCKING 

outburst seemed to have been the stirring up 
of hatred for Leatherstocking, and in this he 
had succeeded. What happened to the women 
was of no interest to him. 

All this Chingachgook had seen and heard, 
and as he repeated it his hearers realized more 
clearly than ever the desperate straits they 
were in. 

“Come sunrise,” concluded the Mohican. 
“ Chingachgook still kept in hushes by Huron 
warriors who guard Muskrat and Tall Pine. 
Chingachgook no can wait. Pun from bush. 
All day hide in forest. All day Hurons move 
about. Chingachgook must meet Leatherstock¬ 
ing at big rock, so run to lake. Hurons see 
and follow.” 

And Chingachgook spread his hands palms 
upwards, signifying that he had finished. 

“So Briarthorn is to thank for all this divil- 
ment,” remarked Leatherstocking. u ’Tis like 
him. But, Chief, about Wah-ta-Wah—we can 
rescue her?” 

“Wah-ta-Wah safe,” answered the Mohican. 
“Hurons no harm her. Think too much of 
Leatherstocking scalp and Wild Flower.” 

“Well, my scalp is like to be atop my head 
many moons. No Mingo shall take it- no, nor 
shall they touch Judith!” 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 103 

Leatherstocking slapped his hand on the butt 
of his rifle for emphasis. 

4 ‘ This means that every minute is impor¬ 
tant,’ ’ declared Judith, firmness taking the 
place of the black fear that had possessed her. 
“ There must be some way out if we can only 
find it.” 

“Aye, there is a way,” agreed Leatherstock- 
ing. “ ’Tis loot the Mingos want. What have 
you in the Castle that might tempt ’em? Ex¬ 
change some trinket for your father and Hurry 
Harry. That will answer, I’ll be bound.” 

So engrossed had they become that they had 
not seen Hetty rise from her stool by the table. 
She had said nothing since her reproval of 
Judith’s great despair, but towards the end of 
Ohingachgook’s story the calm serenity had 
left her. Her gentle eyes lighted with a great 
purpose and her thin hands clasped them¬ 
selves, not with nervousness but with sup¬ 
pressed excitement. 

Quietly she rose and took her Bible from 
the table where it ordinarily reposed. With¬ 
out a word she made her way softly across the 
room and opened the door. As she stepped 
through, a breeze caused the candle flame to 
waver. 

Judith looked up. 


104 LEATHERSTOCKING 

“Hetty,” she called, “where are you?” 

6 ‘Here,’’ came the answer from without. 

Judith rushed to the door, followed by 
Chingaehgook and Leatherstocking, but in the 
intense darkness they could see nothing. 

From the end of the staging came the splash 
that told of a paddle pushed through the water, 
and Judith clutched at her throat in fear. 

“Hetty,’’ she cried again, hoarsely, “where 
are you?” 

“Here in the canoe,” the girl replied sim¬ 
ply. “I am going to rescue father and Hurry 
Harry.” 

This startling answer left the three speech¬ 
less with astonishment for a moment. Leather¬ 
stocking was the first to recover. 

“But, Hetty, girl,” he cried, “the forest is 
full of Mingo devils. You 11 be killed, sartain! ’ ’ 

“I am not afraid,” came the gentle voice 
from across the dark waters. “I am in God’s 
hands!” 

Judith dropped to her knees in an agony of 
despair. 

“Dear God,” she prayed, “protect her!” 

“Come, Judith,” exclaimed Leatherstocking, 
raising the sobbing girl to her feet. “We must 
follow her and get her before she reaches shore. 
There’s other canoes.” 


WHAT THE SERPENT SAW 105 

“No can see to follow/’ interrupted Ching- 
achgook. “No can find Pale Lily,” and his 
hand swept the darkness that closed about them 
like an impenetrable harrier. 

For the first time Leatherstocking saw that 
a heavy fog had settled down over Glimmer- 
glass. Unlike the one through which he and 
Hutter and March had paddled the night be¬ 
fore, this was not thinned by the moon’s rays, 
for clouds covered the sky. 

“ ’Tis useless,” he said, with disappointment. 
“We’d be lost afore we was ten foot away from 
the Castle. We must wait till daylight, that’s 
sartain.” 


CHAPTER IX 

THE FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 

There is no courage more beautiful than that 
born of an abiding faith in the will and power 
of God to render impotent the hand of evil. 
The soldier goes forth to battle, his spirit high 
with the pomp and circumstance of martial 
gl or y—frig bravery strengthened by the force 
of numbers. The hunter takes the lone trail 
and faces its dangers without flinching, secure 
in his belief in his own prowess with rifle and 
knife. The fearlessness of both depends upon 
tangible things, but he who relies on a Higher 
p ower —the intangible—follows a standard that 
is never lowered, even in the face of defeat. 

Hetty Hutter knew no fear. When she had 
replied, “I am in God’s hands,” to Leather- 
stocking’s appeal, she meant it literally. To 
her, God was no intangible ally. She saw His 
will in the raging tempest and in the calm after 
the storm. In the midst of that wild country 
she feared no evil for she knew His hand was 
ever ready to defend the weak. 

106 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 107 

The Indians were God’s creatures, even the 
ferocious Hurons, just as were the English and 
the French. Being God’s creatures, they could 
not refuse to hear His word, and He had coun¬ 
seled love of neighbor as of self. The redskin 
was walking in darkness, but never could he 
he made to see the light by means of bloodshed. 
The word of the Heavenly Father must be 
brought to him, and it was this task that Hetty 
had voluntarily taken upon her frail shoulders. 

As she paddled slowly away from the Castle, 
her canoe pushing its nose into a world of un¬ 
believable blackness, she say not the difficulties 
and the dangers that lay before her. Glimmer- 
glass lay motionless, unstirred by even the 
faintest breeze, and the shore was straight 
ahead. The fact that the clinging fog and the 
night combined to limit her vision to a radius 
of less than the length of her canoe meant noth¬ 
ing. There on her knees lay her Bible, and 
the light that its words of comfort gave forth 
was sufficient for her needs. 

Slowly but silently she paddled on, unseeing. 
If her slender arms grew weary, she paid no 
heed. She had but one thought—to reach the 
Huron camp before it was too late—and as she 
drove the light craft forward she prayed that 
she might not be too late. Suddenly her paddle 


108 LEATHERSTOCKING 


touched bottom, and the prow of the canoe 
grated on the shore. 

Hetty stood up, clasping the Bible to her 
breast, and stepped out upon the low-lying 
beach. Then she pulled the canoe up over the 
pebbles and turned her eyes in the direction she 
believed the Huron camp to lie, but she might 
as well have been blindfolded for the thick fog 
enveloped all in a cloak of invisibility. Care¬ 
fully picking her way, she started forward. A 
gentle rise told her she had reached the level 
of the fringe of underbrush and she stopped, 
for she knew the growth was higher than her 
head and abounded in thorns. For a moment 
only she hesitated and then, bending her arm 
before her eyes, she plunged into the bushes. 
As she pressed on, the sharp brambles tore at 
her garments and scratched her hands and 
cheeks. Her hair was pulled this way and that 
with painful jerks, but she stumbled forward 
and soon passed this fortification of nature’s 
making. 

Inside the line of underbrush the going was 
less difficult. Great trees reared their ancient 
trunks all about, but between them were to be 
found fairly clear passageways like aisles in 
some huge cathedral in which the lights had 
been extinguished. In another half hour, Hetty 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 109 

had proceeded far enough from the shore to 
leave behind the fog that clung to Glimmerglass, 
and* the way now was more easily discernible. 
The darkness of night held sway, but it was 
not impenetrable and the girl could see suffi¬ 
ciently well to proceed with greater speed. 
Still clutching the Bible to her breast, she 
pushed on deeper and deeper into the forest. 

Hemmed in by fog and darkness, Hetty, had 
been unable to guide the canoe to the point 
on shore she believed to be nearest the Huron 
camp. When the prow had grated on the 
beach, Hetty had unknowingly stepped out on 
the headland, fully a mile above the spot she 
sought, and by walking directly away from the 
lake she was in reality putting greater dis¬ 
tance between herself and her captive father. 
The stillness of the night alone was the means 
of setting her right, for once when she stopped 
for breath there came to her the distant thrum 
of war drums. From far to her left the weird 
sound rose for a moment and then was gone. 

It could mean but one thing, and even her 
brave heart quailed at the thought. Failing 
in their efforts to kill Leatherstocking, the 
Hurons were preparing to take their toll in the 
blood of Tom Hutter and Hurry Harry March. 
She was too late! 


110 LEATHERSTOCKING 

With a sob, Hetty turned in the direction 
whence had come the hated sound and ran as 
fast as her waning strength would permit. On 
and on she ran, stumbling over fallen branches, 
slipping on concealed rocks and blindly collid¬ 
ing with tree trunks. She seemed to be im¬ 
pervious to such obstacles. The thought of 
stopping or at least of proceeding more care¬ 
fully never entered her mind. Her purpose 
was one not to be denied and the Bible clasped 
in her arms seemed to give her the strength 
her efforts were sapping from her. Aching 
in every limb, her clothing torn, her body 
bruised and scratched and her breath tearing 
at her throat, Hetty made her painful way for¬ 
ward. 

But nature is a harsh mistress. So far and 
no farther will she permit mortals to draw 
upon her, and then she exacts her payment. 
Hetty had overstepped the boundary. Down 
into a grassy hollow she fell and lay still. 
Weariness at last triumphed over her indom¬ 
itable purpose. As a sleeping child clasps a 
well-loved doll in its arms, so did Hetty clasp 
the Bible to her breast, and there, utterly in 
the keeping of Him she trusted so implicitly, 
she fell into a dreamless slumber. 

The Huron war drums that had called Hetty 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 111 

towards the goal she sought now throbbed om¬ 
inously. For the last quarter hour they had 
shattered the night silence, but the girl had 
been too far gone to hear them. Throughout 
the little glen in which she now slept so deeply 
they echoed and reechoed, for just at the top 
of the hill in front of her was the camp itself. 

It was a night of great import in the strong¬ 
hold of Rivenoak’s people. Since sundown the 
warriors had been preparing for the torture of 
their two white captives and the Chief had been 
forced to use all the great power of which he 
was capable to hold them in leash. In this 
Briarthom was of much use. He had added 
his eloquence to the commands of his chosen 
leader and thus the two held out for hours 
against the insistent and clamorous demands 
of the tribe for the scalps of the captives. 

Tied securely to two saplings directly oppo¬ 
site the curtain of Rivenoak’s lodge, where they 
could see all that was going forward, Hutter 
and March watched the Hurons in their frenzy. 

“Guess we’re done for now, Tom,” muttered 
March, keeping his eyes straight ahead to pre¬ 
vent his captors from noting his attempts at 
conversation. “Them Injins won’t wait much 
longer.” 

“We’re still alive,” growled Hutter, plainly 


112 LEATHERSTOCKING 

disgusted at his companion’s apprehension. 
“Shut up!” 

March looked at him with a sneer. 

“Facin’ a violent death means nothin’ to 
one of Captain Kidd’s freebooters, eh?” he 
snarled, his anger at Hutter’s terse order for 
silence getting the upper hand of the fear he 
really felt. 

Hutter glared at him. 

“You’re a fool,” he said quietly. “Here 
comes Rivenoak. Don’t let him see that a pale¬ 
face can be afeered.” 

The chief had left the circle of warriors that 
was forming about the camp fire, and with 
stately tread approached his captives whom 
he scowlingly regarded in silence for a mo¬ 
ment. 

“Rivenoak friend of Yengees,” he said at 
length, addressing Floatin’ Tom. “Rivenoak 
say no Yengee scalps until Leather stocking 
captured.” 

“Rivenoak damn coward,” interrupted Hut¬ 
ter. “No Yengee would he beholdin’ to a 
Mingo dog for his scalp.” 

Rivenoak’s eyes flashed in fury, but before 
he could speak, Hutter’s tongue lashed him 
again. 

“Yengees do not fear Rivenoak,” he said, a 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 113 

smile on his lips. “Mingos are children. Soon 
go to sleep.” 

With that he turned his head as far as his 
bonds would permit, and looked oft into the 
darkness with studied indifference. 

The Huron chief, cruel and ruthless as he 
was, admired and respected nothing so much 
as physical bravery. The insults that had 
come from Hutter ? s lips had infuriated him 
for a moment, but at the same time they had 
told him that here was one worthy of Huron 
ancestry, and he could conceive of no higher 
honor. He looked back over his shoulder at 
the wildly gesticulating warriors who were 
making the night hideous with their demands 
for Yengee scalps, and then he glanced admir¬ 
ingly at Hutter. 

“Muskrat brave warrior,” he exclaimed sin¬ 
cerely, and turning walked slowly back to the 
camp fire. 

Angered at Rivenoak’s persistent refusal to 
deliver the Muskrat and the Tall Pine into 
their hands, the Hurons now appealed to Se- 
tah-ga, the great Medicine Man of the tribe. 
A deputation of two warriors went to the wig¬ 
wam of this dignitary and laid their case be¬ 
fore him. 

“The Muskrat and the Tall Pine are enemies 


114 LEATHERSTOCKING 

of the Hurons,” they declared. “The Lynx 
now lies dead from a Yengee bullet. The war¬ 
riors demand the scalps of the Yengees, for 
never will a Huron be safe so long as Yengees 
walk the earth. 

“Talk with the Great Manitou, 0 Se-tah-ga, 
and bring from him word that his children shall 
have the scalps of the Muskrat and the Tall 
Pine. ,, 

Se-tah-ga considered this proposition from 
all angles and finally agreed to it. The war¬ 
riors hastened back to the camp fire, where 
they informed the assembled tribe of their ac¬ 
tion. Silence fell over the camp as the young 
fighting men formed a half circle about the 
fire, and gradually there arose on the night air 
the savage throbbing of the war drums, ac¬ 
companied by the weird, monotonous chant of 
the women that announced the coming of Se- 
tah-ga. 

From his lodge stepped the Medicine Man 
attired in the full ceremonial robes of his craft. 
A long capelike garment, made entirely of fur, 
hung about his shoulders. Around his neck 
swung many strings of beads, bear claws and 
small shells that gave forth a sharp rattle with 
every move of his body, and legs and arms were 
similarly bedecked. In each hand he carried 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 115 

a hollowed gourd filled with pebbles and these 
gave forth an insistent clatter as he shook them 
wildly. On his face he wore the most hideous 
mask which his imagination was capable of pro¬ 
ducing. Terrible staring eyes, set far apart, a 
long beaklike nose and huge grinning mouth 
from which great tusks protruded—it was a 
masterpiece of workmanship in which was com¬ 
bined all the horrors of Huron tradition. Small 
wonder, then, that it struck terror even to the 
hearts of the warriors, for to them it was the 
incarnation of a spirit. 

“Mighty is Se-tah-ga,” chanted the women. 
“He walks the forest path with the dead and 
speaks with wisdom from the Great Manitou! 
Mighty is Se-tah-ga!” 

The Medicine Man came forward with a 
crouching walk. Lower and lower he bent to 
the ground, limping as one about to fall. Then 
without warning he gave voice to an unearthly 
shriek and sprang into the air, waving his arms 
wildly about him. This symbolized the lame, 
halting gait of mortals in contrast to the vigor 
and power of those of the spirit world and 
marked Se-tah-ga’s transition from the one 
state to the other. 

The leap had taken him to the very center 
of the ring of warriors and he stood for a 


116 LE ATHERSTOCKIN G 

moment at fall height before them. He was 
a huge savage, even without his priestly re¬ 
galia, but with the great fur cloak thrown about 
him and the hideous mask on his face, he tow¬ 
ered to an apparently prodigious size, the per¬ 
sonification of one of the demons that fill In- 
dian lore. 

The challenge of the war drums grew louder, 
and from his own lodge Rivenoak watched the 
spectacle unmoved. This apparent insurrec¬ 
tion against his rule had no effect on him, for 
he knew now that he had won his point. Se- 
tah-ga’s incantations would continue until long 
after daylight, and Rivenoak, stubbornly set 
on adding Leatherstocking to his list of cap¬ 
tives before turning them over for the torture, 
was confident that the coming of another day 
would reawaken in the hearts of his warriors 
a determination to make prisoner the last white 
man on Glimmerglass. 

The two captives themselves watched the 
wild ceremonial dance of the Medicine Man 
with directly opposed emotions. Hurry Harry 
March, the bold forest rover and braggart, 
showed plainly in his face the fear of death 
that was clutching at his heart. His eyes stared 
in terror at the frightful figure that was leap¬ 
ing about the circle of warriors and beads of 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 117 

perspiration stood out upon his ashen brow. 
Floatin’ Tom Hutter, on the other hand, 
watched the dance with interest, an amused 
smile occasionally coming over his face. 
Neither spoke. 

Suddenly Hutter became aware of another 
presence near him. He turned and saw Wah- 
ta-Wah, the captive Delaware maid, standing 
beside him in the shadow cast by a tall bass¬ 
wood tree. The girl placed her finger to her 
lips expressively and Hutter, quickly catching 
her meaning, turned his gaze back to the fire. 

“Wah-ta-Wah escape from lodge,” the girl 
whispered. “Come to help Muskrat and Tall 
Pine. How can help?” 

“Wah-ta-Wah swim?” asked Hutter. 

The girl nodded an affirmative. 

“Wah-ta-Wah swim to Castle and tell Leath¬ 
erstocking,” he said in a low voice. 

Wah-ta-Wah smiled in eager acquiescence 
and crept softly away. In an instant she had 
disappeared among the trees. 

Daylight, gray and cloudy, was just break¬ 
ing as the Delaware girl picked her way care¬ 
fully down the steep slope that fell away to 
the north of the camp. Dimly she could see 
about her, and she knew that with the light 
momentarily growing stronger, her safety lay 


118 LEATHERSTOCKING 

in keeping away as far as possible from tbe 
direct line between the camp and the lake. 

Down the hill Wah-ta-Wah hurried, keeping 
cover behind every tree and bush that offered 
concealment At length she reached the bottom 
and was about to start up the other side when 
she stopped in amazement. 

There before her lay a white girl of about 
her own age—a white girl with a great black 
book pressed to her breast. She was asleep. 
Wah-ta-Wah crept forward softly and bent 
down just as the eyes opened and looked up 
fearlessly into her own. 

“What you do here?” asked the Delaware 
girl. 

“I have come to save my father and his 
friend,” replied the other simply. “The Hu- 
rons have captured them. I am Hetty Hutter.” 

“Go back quick,” pleaded Wah-ta-Wah. 
“Go in Huron camp, be Huron squaw.” 

“But I can’t go back until I have saved 
father,” Hetty said in mild protest, rising to 
her feet. “I am not in danger. God has pro¬ 
tected me thus far. He will protect me to the 
end.” 

Wah-ta-Wah drew back in awe. This was 
the white girl she had heard of—the white girl 
touched by the Great Manitou. 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 119 

“I shall be all right,” Hetty concluded, “and 
thank you for trying to help me.” 

With a smile of ineffable sweetness, she re¬ 
garded Wah-ta-Wah for a moment and then 
began the laborious climb up the hill, from the 
top of which the war drums were still throb¬ 
bing. 

The Delaware girl, torn between her promise 
to the Muskrat and her desire to save Hetty, 
stood irresolute. Hetty would be safe, she 
reasoned. The Hurons would fear her too 
much to harm her. Wah-ta-Wah dismissed the 
matter from her mind. Her duty was to the 
Muskrat, and she ran up the opposite slope 
like a frightened deer. 

Refreshed by her sleep, Hetty climbed rap¬ 
idly up the steep side of the glen. Never for 
a moment did she relax her hold on the Bible. 
With her free hand she pulled herself over the 
rocks, and finally, breathless and flushed from 
her exertions, she stood at the top. The drum 
had ceased its incessant clamoring and the 
chanting of the squaws was silenced. 

Through the trees she could see the circle 
of warriors, now standing menacingly facing 
a tall, dignified redskin whom she rightly took 
to be Rivenoak. Still in his hideous regalia, 
made even more garish in the daylight, the 


120 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Medicine Man was addressing the chief in fierce 
eloquence. 

All this Hetty saw, but it made slight im¬ 
pression on her. She was looking for her 
father and Hurry Harry and at length she 
spied them. The circle of warriors was be¬ 
tween her and the captives, but unhesitatingly 
and with no effort at concealment, Hetty 
pushed through the underbrush and made her 
way straight towards the line of Hurons. 

Before she had advanced half a dozen paces, 
Rivenoak saw her and stared in amazement. 
The Medicine Man stopped his harangue and 
turned his ferocious mask towards the girl. 
The warriors pressed back to each side, open¬ 
ing a path through which this strange visitor 
walked as lightly and unawed as though she 
were merely crossing the floor of the Castle. 

Straight onward Hetty made her way, an 
unearthly smile of content on her lips and her 
eyes bright as she saw her father. She brushed 
past the speechless Se-tah-ga, utterly ignoring 
the mask that struck terror to the bravest Hu¬ 
ron heart, and then ran to the sapling where 
Hutter was tied. 

Floatin’ Tom, for once in his life, refused 
to believe the evidence of his eyes. 

“Hetty!” he gasped. 


FAITH OF HETTY HUTTER 121 


The girl threw her arm about his broad 
shoulders and, raising herself on tiptoe, pressed 
a kiss on his bearded lips. 

“I’ve come to save you, father ,’’ she said, 
“you and Hurry Harry.” 


CHAPTER X 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 

Night dragged its interminable length across 
Glimmerglass and when daylight was still an 
hour away the fog lifted to such an extent as 
to rouse the three in the Castle from the dazed 
silence into which weariness and apprehension 
for Hetty’s safety had thrown them. 

“Now can see,” remarked Chingachgook, 
turning from the open door to his companions. 
“Fog melt like snow in spring.” 

“The Sarpent’s right,” said Leather stock¬ 
ing, placing a gentle hand on Judith’s shoulder. 
“We’d best start now before daybreak comes, 
else them Mingos ’ll be makin’ a target of us 
when we go ashore.” 

Judith leaped to her feet, grateful for the 
end of her nerve-wracking vigil. 

“Then let’s be off at once,” she exclaimed, 
with a sobbing catch in her voice. “Poor Hetty 
—all alone! We may be too late to save her!” 

“Pale Lily be safe,” declared the Mohican 
for the hundredth time. “Huron warriors no 
harm daughter of Great Manitou.” 

122 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 123 

And Chingachgook touched his forehead sig¬ 
nificantly. 

From the staging Leatherstocking now called 
to them and they silently took their places in 
the canoe he had prepared. Leatherstocking 
had not forgotten his rifle and the Mohican had 
been supplied with one of Hutter’s to replace 
his own which he had lost in his flight from 
the Hurons. 

Keeping well out in the lake, the three 
dropped down a mile below the headland and 
then paddled straight in to shore where a 
clump of willows overhanging the water offered 
a hiding place for Chingachgook and the canoe, 
it having been decided to leave him to wait 
for the return of his two companions should 
they be fortunate enough to return. Judith 
and Leatherstocking stepped ashore just as the 
first gray advance guards of daylight rode over 
the eastern hills. 

“I cal date the Mingos is some’rs off to the 
left and maybe a quarter-mile inland ,’ 9 re¬ 
marked Leatherstocking in a low tone. 

Then, as though suddenly recalling that a 
girl had elected to go with him in his dangerous 
mission, he turned to her with a look of earnest 
entreaty. 

“Judith,” he stammered, with evident em- 


124 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


barrassment, “them Injins has no hearts. 
They would only kill me, but you’d fare worse 
than that. I can’t bear to think of it—I can’t 
let you come with me. It’s too much to ask 
me to do.” 

“I’m not asking you, my dear friend,” the 
girl answered, calmly looking into his eyes. “I 
simply can’t let you go alone.” Then in a 
burst of confidence that left her companion 
fighting for some semblance of the control he 
had exerted on two previous occasions, “If you 
must die now, I ask nothing but to be permitted 
to die with you.” 

Leatherstocking clasped her hands in his, too 
deeply moved to speak, and raised them quickly 
to his lips. Then he turned abruptly away, 
fearing to trust himself further. 

“Come then,” he said, and the girl followed 
him into the underbrush. 

In silence they proceeded for some minutes, 
then Leatherstocking suddenly grasped Ju¬ 
dith’s arm and pulled her with him into the 
thicket. Breathless, they waited and there 
came to them the unmistakable sound of a body 
moving rapidly through the underbrush. 

Leatherstocking swung his rifle into position 
for instant use as the crackling of twigs and 
the rustle of leaves drew nearer. At the same 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 


125 


instant there appeared before them the cause 
of the sounds that had startled them—an In¬ 
dian girl running at full speed towards the lake. 

“Wah-ta-Wah!” called Leatherstocking, for 
the moment forgetting .caution in his surprise 
at seeing the beloved of Chingachgook. 

The girl stopped and looked about her in 
fright. 

Leatherstocking stepped from his place of 
concealment, followed by Judith, and an ex¬ 
pression of joy lighted the face of the Indian 
girl. She ran to him eagerly, and, almost in¬ 
coherently, partly in English and partly in Del¬ 
aware, she told of finding Hetty and of her 
failure to dissuade the girl from entering the 
Huron camp. As she spoke breathlessly, her 
face took on an animated beauty that caused 
Judith to regard her with no little disap¬ 
proval, particularly when she noticed that the 
small brown hands which Leatherstocking had 
clasped still retained their hold on his. 

“Lead us quickly to the Huron camp,” he 
exclaimed in the Delaware tongue, and Wah- 
ta-Wah bounded away in the direction she had 
come, closely followed by Leatherstocking and 
Judith. 

The rapid pace set by the Delaware girl soon 
brought them in full view of the Huron camp, 


126 LEATHERSTOCKING 

and they crouched motionless behind a fallen 
tree through the still leafy branches of which 
they could see the assembled warriors that now 
stood as if petrified at the sight of Hetty reach¬ 
ing up on tiptoe to kiss her father. 

“We’re in time, Judith,’’ whispered Leath¬ 
erstocking. 

“Oh, God help her!” murmured Judith as 
she saw her sister turn and face the savages 
that completely surrounded her. 

A firm hand rested for a moment on Leather¬ 
stocking’s shoulder, and Wah-ta-Wah whis¬ 
pered: 

“Wah-ta-Wah go back now. Can do no 
more.” 

Before he could thank her, she had vanished 
in the underbrush as silently as a shadow. 

“The Hurons are the children of God,” sud¬ 
denly came the voice of Hetty across the nar¬ 
row space between the camp and the fallen 
tree. 

Judith and Leatherstocking, the latter fin¬ 
gering his rifle nervously, fixed their gaze upon 
the girl as she stood calmly between the bound 
figures of her father and Hurry Harry March. 
She was addressing her words to Rivenoak, 
who glared at her with a mixture of awe and 
anger. 





§ 







THE GIRL THREW HER ARM ABOUT HIS BROAD SHOULDERS. 













WHITE MAN’S LAW 127 

“The Hurons must live by God’s law or they 
will perish,” went on Hetty. 

“White God’s law no good for Indian,” 
growled Rivenoak. 

“The white God’s law is for all men,” de¬ 
clared Hetty, holding her Bible aloft in her 
right hand. “God has said, ‘Whosoever shall 
smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the 
other also.’ ” 

Rivenoak looked puzzled. 

“Not understand,” he insisted. “White 
God’s words for white man—Great Manitou’s 
words for Indian.” 

Hetty’s smile expressed infinite patience. 
Her attitude was that of a teacher trying with 
the utmost sympathy and understanding to 
impress a great truth upon the mind of 
a rebellious child. Again she raised the 
Bible. 

“This is God’s word,” she said earnestly. 
“In this book He tells us to forgive our ene¬ 
mies and never to injure them for revenge. 
God is the Great Spirit.” 

Since few of the warriors were familiar with 
the English tongue, Rivenoak turned to them 
and explained what the white girl had said. In¬ 
stantly there arose angry cries and the red¬ 
skins, with Briarthorn in their van, pressed 


128 LEATHERSTOCKING 

forward menacingly. Rivenoak raised his 
hand. 

“The white girl speaks strange words,’’ he 
said when he had silenced the uproar. “She 
is touched by the Great Manitou. Let us hear 
her out.” 

Then he turned back to Hetty, who had 
watched the little by-play with a childlike in¬ 
terest. 

“Why Great Spirit no send book to Indian, 
too?” he asked. 

“He has sent the book to the Indian,” the 
girl exclaimed. “I bring it to you, and I bring 
His message—‘Love your enemies and do good 
to them that hate and persecute you.’ ” 

The early morning sun now pierced the wood¬ 
land and a shaft of golden light fell upon 
Hetty’s upturned face, transfiguring it with 
an unearthly beauty, and even the Indians 
looked on her in awe. 

From the hiding place, Judith was gazing 
at her sister as if she were beholding a being 
from another world. Her eyes were bright 
with tears and her lips moved in prayer for 
the child whose faith alone was holding at bay 
this horde of savages. Leatherstocking raised 
his rifle and drew a fine sight on Rivenoak’s 
breast. 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 129 

“We’ll be sure of Mm if worst comes,’’ be 
murmured. 

Hetty’s words were translated to the war¬ 
riors, this time by Se-tah-ga, wbo was taking 
a keen interest in tbe proceedings. Rivenoak 
appeared to be struggling for an understand¬ 
ing that was long in coming, and Hetty took 
advantage of tbe interval to speak a word of 
encouragement to tbe captives. 

“You will soon be free, father,” she said, 
smoothing Ms cheek with her soft band, “you 
and Harry—for God will let tbe Hurons see 
tbe right! I know He will!” 

“My brave little gal,” Floatin’ Tom mut¬ 
tered brokenly, “my brave little gal.” 

Hurry Harry March said nothing. His face 
expressed utter despair, and, to the close ob¬ 
server, a fear that was rapidly getting the 
better of him. 

At last Rivenoak seemed to have hit upon 
the line of thought for which he had been seek¬ 
ing. He strode to Hetty’s side and glowered 
down at her. 

“So that be white man law,” he sneered, “to 
do good to enemies. Then why does wMte man 
not live by wMte man law! Why does he enter 
Huron camp to scalp women and children for 
gold?” 


130 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


Triumphantly he stood over her, all the evil 
of his nature glittering from his eyes. Instinc¬ 
tively he knew she could not answer him. For 
once her white God and the white God’s book 
had failed. 

Hetty stared at him in dazed silence. Help¬ 
lessly she turned to her father and to Harry 
March, hut they had long since given up hope. 
No longer held in check by Rivenoak, the war¬ 
riors pressed closer and closer to the pitiful 
figure of the girl, and one, bolder than his fel¬ 
lows, tore the Bible from her hand and dashed 
it upon the ground. 

“Death to the Yengees!” he shouted, and the 
warriors took up the cry. 

Waving their tomahawks about their heads, 
they began a weird dance, circling about the 
stakes and shriekihg their hatred. But Se- 
tah-ga, buffeting his way to the center of the 
ring, raised his voice in words of command that 
rumbled hollowly from behind his hideous 
mask. 

“The Great Spirit is near,” he cried. “The 
Great Spirit would hold council with Se-tah-ga! 
Silence for the Great Spirit in the heart of 
the forest!” 

The warriors stopped their dance, and the 
cries were stilled. Chanting in a monotone, 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 131 

Se-tah-ga made his way through their lines and 
out across the clearing. Then he plunged into 
the wood, making straight for the fallen tree 
that concealed Judith and Leatherstocking. 
Around the end of it he strode, apparently in 
deep thought, and immediately was lost to the 
sight of the warriors. 

Leatherstocking handed his rifle to Judith 
and crouched. As the Medicine Man stepped 
through the branches, his throat was caught 
in a grip of iron and his head was bent back¬ 
ward with all the strength at Leather stocking’s 
command. Steadily increasing the pressure of 
his fingers, Leatherstocking pinned the redskin 
to the ground and held him there until he had 
ceased to struggle. So quickly had the attack 
been made that Se-tah-ga had not had an op¬ 
portunity to cry out. 

Motioning Judith to help him, Leatherstock¬ 
ing quickly removed from the Medicine Man 
his mask, fur robe and necklaces. Then he 
bound his unconscious captive hand and foot 
with his belt and rifle sling. Forcing a gag of 
leaves and grass into the mouth, he fastened 
it firmly with his neckerchief, then he dragged 
Se-tah-ga into the deeper thicket. 

In a moment Leatherstocking reappeared 
and rapidly donned the ceremonial dress of the 


132 LEATHERSTOCKING 


Huron dignitary. Before fixing the mask over 
his face, he whispered to Judith: 

“It's the last chance!” 

Judith stared at him uncomprehendingly for 
a moment. Then she understood. He was go¬ 
ing to take the place of the Medicine Man in a 
last desperate attempt to save the lives of her 
father and sister. Before she could utter a 
protest, he was gone. When next she saw him, 
he was striding rapidly towards the waiting 
warriors. 

“The Great Manitou has spoken,” chanted 
the pseudo-Se-tah-ga in the Huron tongue as 
he advanced towards Rivenoak. “The Great 
Manitou is displeased.” 

Rivenoak drew hack and the warriors, impa¬ 
tient for the word that would bid them attack 
their captives stood tense. Now Briarthorn, 
sensing that another delay was impending, took 
matters into his own hands. He rushed for¬ 
ward and, throwing Hetty brutally to one side, 
brandished his long knife in the face of Float- 
in ’ Tom. 

“Death to the Yengees!” he cried. “Death 
to the White Squaw!” 

Leatherstocking leaped at the renegade Del¬ 
aware and dealt him a blow that sent him reel¬ 
ing back into the arms of the nearest warriors. 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 133 

Through the eyes of the mask, his own burned 
with fury. 

“Do you forget that the mad girl is sacred?” 
he demanded, towering above the stunned 
Briarthorn. “Dare to strike her down and the 
vengeance of the Great Manitou will he visited 
upon our tribe.’’ 

Briarthorn staggered to his feet, hut before 
he could make answer, Bivenoak interfered. 

“Se-tah-ga is wise,” he agreed. “The Great 
Manitou would he angry if we harm the mad 
girl. But the captives—they must die!” 

Leatherstocking lifted high the pebble-filled 
gourds of the Medicine Man. 

“Bivenoak has spoken,” he cried. 

Then with a commanding gesture he waved 
the warriors aside and, crouching forward, he 
began the ceremonial dance that would culmi¬ 
nate in the death of the captives. The Hurons 
went wild with excitement, their piercing war 
cries rending the silence of the forest, but, with 
due deference to the formalities of the occasion, 
they stood back until the supposed Se-tah-ga 
had finished his incantations. 

Judith, who had all but fainted when she 
saw Leatherstocking in the guise of the Medi¬ 
cine Man advancing boldly on the camp, had 
regained something of her composure. With 


134 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


the rifle in her now steady hands, she peered 
intently through the foliage and watched the 
weird dance that was destined to end so unex¬ 
pectedly. 

A crackling of branches to her left attracted 
her attention, and she turned in time to see 
the real Se-tah-ga squirming from behind the 
thicket where he had been tossed by Leather¬ 
stocking. The muscles of his half-naked body 
were straining and swelling as he strove to 
loosen his bonds. 

For a moment Judith was motionless with 
fear, then swinging the rifle into position, 
she pressed her finger against the trigger. Se- 
tah-ga, with a final mighty effort, broke free 
and leaped to his feet, his eyes burning with 
an insane rage. Judith lowered the rifle de¬ 
spairingly, a sob shaking her, for she realized 
that the shot she contemplated would but draw 
the Hurons down upon her. It was the last 
shot. Leatherstocking had the powder and bul¬ 
lets. The last shot must be reserved for her¬ 
self. 

Se-tah-ga rushed forward towards the circle 
of warriors, and Rivenoak, his eyes staring, 
saw approaching him the man he believed to 
be even at that moment dancing the Dance 
of Death there before the white captives. Only 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 135 

for a moment was he puzzled, however, then 
he understood what had happened. 

“Stop!” he commanded, pushing the war¬ 
riors aside and confronting the supposed Med¬ 
icine Man. “You are not Se-tah-ga! He 
comes there!” 

But Leatherstocking had already seen and 
was ready. He tore the mask from his face 
and hurled the robe from his shoulders. Biv- 
enoak raised his tomahawk, but Leatherstock¬ 
ing crashed a powerful fist into the chief's jaw, 
felling him like a lightning-shattered tree. 

The warriors crowded in upon him, but were 
at a disadvantage. They were many against 
one and they were so close together that 
the blows they aimed at him but fell upon 
themselves. Like a serpent, Leatherstocking 
squirmed and twisted this way and that, evad¬ 
ing his foes, and in a moment had freed him¬ 
self from the tangle of arms and legs. Then 
with a wild cry, he set off at top speed down 
the steep slope up which Hetty had climbed 
but an hour before. He hoped to lead the tribe 
away from the camp, thus giving the captives 
and Judith and Hetty an opportunity to make 
good their escape. 

In this he reasoned well. Mad with fury at 
the invasion of their camp by the hated white 


136 LEATHERSTOCKING 

man and his desecration of the robes and the 
person of the sacred Se-tah-ga, the Hnrons 
pursued in full force. Even the women dropped 
their customary occupations and, shrieking for 
the blood of the Yengees, joined this chase to 
the death. 

Leatherstocking dodged from tree to tree in 
his downward flight, and, the moment he felt 
himself to be out of sight of his pursuers, he 
made a prodigious leap straight outward into 
space at a point where the slope broke into a 
steep cliff. By the narrowest margin his hands 
caught the overhanging limb at which he had 
hurled his body, and he drew himself up into 
the leafy branches. 

He was none too soon. The Hurons crashed 
through the underbrush beneath him and were 
off in full cry along the top of the cliff in the 
direction they believed he had taken. Not wait¬ 
ing a moment to regain his breath, Leather¬ 
stocking climbed higher and lightly swung him¬ 
self to the limb of another tree farther up the 
slope. In this manner he doubled on his tracks 
until, near the top of the hill, he dropped to 
the ground and crawled through the under¬ 
brush, circling the now deserted camp and 
working towards the spot where he had left 
Judith. 


WHITE MAN’S LAW 


137 


Certain now that all was over, Judith had 
watched Leather stocking’s brave attempt at a 
rescue and its sudden termination. When he 
had torn himself free from the milling savages 
and fled down the slope, she dared not even 
hope that he would escape. She saw that the 
camp was deserted save for her father and 
Hetty and Harry March. When Hetty rushed 
to the stakes, trying in vain to loosen the bonds 
that held her father, Judith started forward 
to help, hut before she had stepped free of the 
screening foliage, she saw Briarthorn and a 
Huron dash hack to the camp, evidently bent 
on guarding against any possible rescue. Then 
Judith’s despair became complete. She knew 
all was over, and she only awaited the end. 

A crashing in the underbrush behind her re¬ 
called her to a sense of her own peril, and she 
turned, leveling the rifle in the direction whence 
the sound had come. The leaves parted and 
there before her stood Leatherstocking. With 
a cry of joy she threw herself into his arms. 

“My darling,” she sobbed, her overwrought 
nerves breaking. “Oh, my darling!” 

Leatherstocking held her close and comforted 
her as best he could. This was an unlooked-for 
development, one that he had fought to pre¬ 
vent. There was every reason why he should 


138 LEATHERSTOCKING 

not permit himself to love Judith—Harry 
March’s thinly veiled accusations for one thing 
•—and yet he knew that he could not long with¬ 
stand the overpowering appeal she held for 
him. 

“Judith,” he whispered softly, “bear up. 
We must hurry. Them Mingos won’t be thrown 
off for long. Come.” 

“But father,” she cried frantically, “and 
Hetty—we can’t leave them!” 

“We must leave ’em. ’Tis folly to try any¬ 
thing more. Come!” 

Not waiting for further protests, Leather¬ 
stocking caught up his rifle, and, grasping Ju¬ 
dith’s unresisting hand, he ran with her 
through the thicket, never stopping until he 
had reached the lake shore and the overhang¬ 
ing willow where Chingachgook waited with the 
canoe. 

“Sarpent!” he called. 

The canoe pushed its nose through the leaves, 
and Judith, in silence, took her place behind 
the Mohican. Leatherstocking pushed the light 
craft out into the lake and climbed carefully 
aboard. Then began a sad journey back to 
Muskrat Castle. 


CHAPTER XI 


KANSOM 

Rivexoak: and his warriors had not proceeded 
far before they realized that in some unaccount¬ 
able manner Leatherstocking had eluded them. 
Yainly they traced the impressions of his moc¬ 
casins to the edge of the cliff, and there they 
suddenly disappeared. 

44 Great Manitou is angry,’’ announced Se- 
tah-ga at length. 4 4 Great Manitou conceals the 
Yengee from us as punishment for affronts to 
the mad girl. It is better that we return.” 

This seemed as good an explanation of the 
mystery as any; at least, it satisfied the Hu- 
rons. They turned in their tracks and made 
for the camp at top speed, fearful that the 
Great Manitou, as a further mark of his dis¬ 
pleasure, might bring about the disappearance 
of the Muskrat and the Tall Pine. But these 
fears were unfounded, for the two captives 
were as they had been left, bound securely to 
the saplings. Guarding them were Briarthorn 
and the young Huron warrior who had returned 
with him. 


139 


140 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Hetty, seated disconsolately on a stump, rose 
to her feet and approached Rivenoak uncer¬ 
tainly, hut Se-tah-ga waved her back. 

“We must send the mad girl back to the 
big lodge in the water,” he said determinedly, 
addressing the chief. “The Great Manitou 
will strike us down with arrows of lightning 
if we harm Muskrat or Tall Pine while she is 
here.” 

Rivenoak looked troubled. He did not be¬ 
lieve he could hold his warriors in check much 
longer, for they were thirsting for an oppor¬ 
tunity to avenge the killing of the Lynx. But 
the Hurons were no longer a problem in this 
respect. They had heard the words of the 
Medicine Man and they wanted no further proof 
of the mystic protection that surrounded Hetty. 
She was now sacred in their eyes, and they 
drew back from her in silence. 

Rivenoak left the group of savages, and, ac¬ 
companied by Se-tah-ga, walked slowly towards 
the girl. His changed manner, intimating as 
it did a desire to help her, brought a look of 
joy to her face. 

“Now will you hear the word of God and 
free my father and Harry March?” she asked, 
her eyes bright with the prospect of an end to 
all her troubles. 


RANSOM 


141 


“Words of white man’s God like music to 
Huron ears,” replied Rivenoak, with a crafty 
look that was entirely lost upon the girl so 
earnestly was her mind centered on the success 
of her mission. 

“Then you’ll spare my father?” she ex¬ 
claimed. 

Without answering the question, Rivenoak 
went on: 

‘‘ Pale Lily return to big lodge in water. Tell 
paleface hunter—” 

“Leatherstocking,” broke in Briarthorn. 

“Tell Leatherstocking Rivenoak wants ca¬ 
noes so can bring Hurons and hear more words 
of white Manitou.” 

Tears of joy glistened in the girl’s tired eyes 
and impulsively she put her hand on his, at 
the same time clasping the recovered Bible 
more closely to her breast. 

“I knew God would make the Hurons un¬ 
derstand,” she murmured. “God is good.” 

Rivenoak smiled grimly at the ease with 
which his plan was working. 

“Pale Lily go back to lodge now,” he went 
on. “Huron warrior take her on raft, then 
bring back canoes for Rivenoak. Rivenoak 
bring Muskrat and Tall Pine for prove friend¬ 
ship.” 


142 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Hetty eagerly agreed and, led by Briarthorn 
and the young Huron, she set out into the for¬ 
est towards the lake shore. From a clump of 
bushes that overhung the water, the two In¬ 
dians dragged a rudely fashioned raft, one of 
many that had been prepared for the attack 
on the Castle. Hetty took her place upon it 
and the Huron warrior skillfully paddled it out 
into the lake. Briarthorn saw them safely on 
their way and then plunged back into the forest. 

About the time that Hetty and her Huron 
escort began their journey up the lake—Judith, 
Leatherstocking and Chingachgook were land¬ 
ing at the Castle staging. Despair seemed to 
have robbed Judith of all her faculties. She 
moved like one in a dream and apparently 
heard nothing of the conversation between her 
two companions. 

“Thar’s nothin’ for it now but to make a 
trade,” declared Leather stocking as he gazed 
from the staging back towards the elevation 
where the Huron camp lay. ‘ 4 Them Mingos 
have blocked us at every turn.” 

“What can make trade with?” asked Ching¬ 
achgook. “Be something in lodge?” 

* ‘ Let’s look around, ’’ replied the other. 6 ‘ Ju¬ 
dith, my girl, think, now. What’s in the Castle 


RANSOM 143 

we can offer the In jins as trade for your father 
and Harry?” 

Judith looked up dully. 

“In father’s sea chest we may find some¬ 
thing,” she answered wearily. “But I’ve lost 
hope.” 

“That’s very bad,” remarked Leatherstock¬ 
ing, regarding her with concern. “As long as 
thar’s life, we mustn’t give up hope. And 
thar’s plenty life yet.” 

The girl led the way to her father’s room 
and opened the great chest, the locks of which 
had been shattered by the Huron tomahawk 
two days before. Leather stocking and Ching- 
achgook watched with interest as she suddenly 
turned from the chest and ran out of the room. 
She was back in a moment with a bundle 
hugged to her breast. Quickly she took off the 
rough cloth covering and held up to view a 
beautiful gown of richest brocade and lace— 
such a gown as might have graced the person 
of some beauty of His Majesty’s court. 

“My mother’s dress,” she said simply. 

Leatherstocking’s eyes expressed the won¬ 
derment he was experiencing at the sight of 
the first thing of its kind he had ever seen. 
Chingachgook, however, was not impressed. 


144 LEATHERSTOCKING 

‘‘Be good for Huron squaw/* lie muttered. 
“No good for Huron warrior.” 

“True, Sarpent, true,” agreed Leatherstock- 
ing, brought back to himself by the pronounce¬ 
ment of these cold facts. “ ’Tis the Mingo 
warriors we must bargain with. The squaws 
are not important.” 

Judith replaced the dress carefully in its 
wrappings. 

“Then, unless there is something in the sea- 
chest,” she said, “I fear that way is likewise 
closed to us.” 

She bent over the chest and began unpack¬ 
ing it, holding up each article in its turn for 
the inspection of Chingachgook and Leather- 
stocking. 

It was a motley assortment of treasure that 
Floatin’ Tom had guarded so zealously. Men’s 
clothing in various stages of disrepair made 
up the bulk of the chest’s contents, heavy sea 
boots, buckled shoes, a variety of neckerchiefs 
and two or three hats. These were quickly 
rejected by the Mohican as worthless for pur¬ 
poses of ransom. Then came a pair of beauti¬ 
fully mounted pistols and a rusted cutlass 
which found favor in Judith’s eyes, but Chin¬ 
gachgook frowned. 


RANSOM 


145 


“No offer weapons,” he said emphatically. 
“Deer no give hunter knife; bird no give weasel 
tooth.” 

Leatherstocking smiled grimly as he caught 
the Indian’s meaning. 

“The Sarpent is as wise as his namesake,” 
he nodded. “Them Mingos have weapons 
enough now and to spare.” 

Again he plunged his arm into the depths 
of the chest and drew forth a small rough bag 
made of heavy canvas. With his knife he 
severed the draw cord and poured out on the 
floor a magnificent set of ivory chessmen that 
drew a cry of admiration from Chingachgook. 
These trinkets, which were exquisitely carved, 
were of another day and age and were much 
larger than common. Each piece had been 
made to look like the thing it represented. 
Thus, the bishops bore the faces of clerics sur¬ 
mounted by miters, and each carried the pas¬ 
toral staff of his office; the kings and queens 
were of truly regal bearing, properly robed 
and crowned; the knights were mounted; the 
pawns possessed the faces of men, and the cas¬ 
tles were mounted on the backs of elephants. 

Chingachgook bent forward with the keenest 
interest, his eyes gleaming with the light of 


146 LEATHERSTOCKING 

one who had succeeded in a conquest. He 
picked up a castle and regarded it from every 
angle. 

4 ‘Big moose!” he exclaimed, looking at Ju¬ 
dith with evident pleasure at his identification 
of the strange beast. 

4 4 That is an elephant, ’ ’ she said, 4 4 an animal 
that lives in a far-off land.” 

Chingachgook attempted the unfamiliar word, 
but gave it up. 

44 Big moose,” he repeated, evidently satisfied 
with his own classification. 4 4 Big moose with 
two tails. Be good for Huron. Big moose buy 
Rivenoak—buy whole tribe. Buy Delaware, 
buy Mohican—maybe. ” 

Overjoyed at the Mohican’s approval, Judith 
quickly picked out the four castles and gave 
them to Leatherstocking. 

44 Now we have something to offer for father’s 
release,” she exclaimed. 44 How shall we get 
word to the Hurons?” 

44 I’ll go,” he said, placing the chessmen in 
a pouch at his belt and grasping his rifle. 4 4 You 
stay here and the Sarpent will stand off any 
attack the Mingos might make on the Castle.” 

He started for the door of the bedroom, fol¬ 
lowed by his companions, and a figure appeared 
in the entry that caused them to halt in amaze- 


RANSOM 


147 


ment. There before them stood Hetty, the 
Bible clasped to her breast. There was a pa¬ 
thetically weary droop at the corners of her 
month, but her eyes were bright with the ela¬ 
tion of a great victory. Slowly she approached 
and a tired smile played about her lips. 

“Hetty!” cried Judith, frantically clasping 
the girl in her arms. She could say no more, 
for in the excess of her joy at the safe return 
of her sister, tears and kisses took the place 
of words. 

Hetty rested her hand gently over Judith’s 
lips. 

“Please don’t talk—come with me,” she 
whispered, and she led the three on tiptoe to 
the outer doorway through which she pointed 
to the farther end of the staging, in pantomime 
indicating her wish that all keep silent. 

There, crouched on the edge of the staging, 
one hand holding a buckskin line which was 
made fast to a raft, was a Huron warrior whose 
eyes were fixed intently upon the four canoes 
that were tied to the piling. They looked at 
her without understanding and she beckoned 
them back into the room. 

Chingachgook, immediately suspicious that 
the presence of his traditional enemy meant 
no good, remained in the doorway, his rifle 


148 LEATHERSTOCKING 
aimed at the Huron’s back. Hetty touched 
his hand and said: 

“The Huron is on a peaceful mission, for 
Rivenoak has given his word that we shall not 
be harmed.” 

“Rivenoak word like puff of wind,” replied 
the Mohican scornfully, his eyes never leaving 
his target. 

“But Rivenoak has heard the word of God,’ 
persisted Hetty, turning to her sister and 
Leatherstocking. “He wants to come to the 
Castle and bring his people so that they, too, 
may know the message of the Bible.” 

Leatherstocking looked incredulous. 

“ Rivenoak has promised to bring father and 
Hurry Harry and to set them free,” Hetty 
continued. “All we need do is send canoes 
ashore. We have four, and the Indian who 
is waiting outside will take them.” 

This amazing information brought exclama¬ 
tions of surprise from Judith and Leatherstock- 
ing. Even Chingachgook voiced his astonish¬ 
ment in an emphatic grunt. 

“Rivenoak lies,” he exclaimed. “Hurons 
have no truth in them.” 

“It sartainly sounds like Mingo treachery,” 
agreed Leather stocking. 

“Oh, I’m sure you do Rivenoak an injustice,” 


RANSOM 


149 


said Hetty earnestly. “He wants to hear more 
about the word of God. I prayed so fervently 
that God has softened his heart.’’ 

The girl’s belief in the miraculous power of 
her prayers to soften the fierce hearts of the 
Hurons was so sincere that even Leatherstock¬ 
ing, with his wide knowledge of Indian craft 
and treachery, had not the heart to press the 
point. Hetty’s faith was too beautiful a thing 
to shatter thus rudely. He resolved to tempo¬ 
rize. 

“Hetty may be right,” he said, with a sig¬ 
nificant glance at Judith. “We can’t say for 
sartain that God hasn’t made His power felt 
even by the Mingos.” 

“I’m sure He has,” Hetty exclaimed with 
renewed hope, and she proceeded to tell them 
what had transpired in the Huron camp after 
Leartherstocking’s spectacular but futile at¬ 
tempt to rescue Floatin’ Tom and Hurry 
Harry. During the recital Chingachgook re¬ 
laxed his vigilance and joined the interested 
group in the room. 

When the girl had finished, Leatherstocking 
was thoughtful a moment. Then, taking her 
hands in his, he said: 

“Hetty, we’ve much at stake and we can’t 
take chances. Right now we are safe only in 


150 LEATHERSTOCKING 

the Castle and we haven’t the right to resk 
lettin’ the Injins get a foothold here. There 
is a way, hows’ever. We can ransom your 
father and Harry March.” 

Then he showed her the ivory elephants and 
explained to her his plan to offer them to Riv-' 
enoak in return for the release of Tom Hutter 
and March. The girl nodded her understand- 
ing. 

“This Injin that brought you can take our 
message back to Rivenoak,” Leatherstocking 
concluded, then he crossed the room to the door 
and looked out. 

Unmatched, the Huron warrior was spending 
his time profitably. He had dragged the raft 
with one hand to a point within easy reach of 
the four canoes. With his free hand he was 
working desperately in an effort to untie the 
buckskin thong that held them. 

Leather stocking descended upon him as 
silently as a shadow and, grasping the copper- 
colored wrist in a crushing grip, swung him 
about. 

“Mingo dog is thief,” he cried. “Mingo 
come in peace to white man's lodge and steal 
canoes. Break word of Rivenoak.'’ 

“Huron not steal canoes," protested the In¬ 
dian, squirming with pain as his wrist was bent 


RANSOM 


151 


by Leatherstocking. “ Huron wait to take 
canoes to Rivenoak so Rivenoak hear word of 
white man’s God.” 

“Thar’ll be no word from God for Mingos,” 
said Leather stocking, releasing the other’s 
wrist. “Tell Rivenoak that. White men offer 
Rivenoak these for trade for Muskrat and Tall 
Pine. See!” 

He held the ivory elephants before the eyes 
of the savage. 

“Tell Rivenoak big moose with two tails 
bring much good luck to tribe,” he went on. 
“Make Hnrons strong on warpath. Help get 
many scalps.” 

The warrior was visibly impressed. He held 
out one hand and Leatherstocking placed one 
of the chess pieces on his palm. The eyes lost 
their crafty, cruel expression and took on a 
look of pleased surprise. 

“One moose for Muskrat,” explained Leath¬ 
erstocking, pointing to the image in the Hu¬ 
ron’s hand, and then holding up another be¬ 
tween thumb and forefinger, “and one moose 
for Tall Pine. You tell Rivenoak.” 

The warrior smiled in understanding and, 
handing the chessman back to Leatherstocking, 
he leaped down on the raft which he soon had 
underway for shore. Leatherstocking watched 


152 LEATHERSTOCKING 

him for a moment, and then reentered the Cas¬ 
tle. 

“Now we’ll see if the Mingos can be bought,” 
he said. 

Chingachgook, who had been standing in the 
doorway during Leatherstocking’s conversation 
with the Huron, pointed to the shore just in¬ 
side the headland. 

“Hurons ready for come here,” he ex¬ 
claimed. “Rivenoak on shore now. Warriors 
have Muskrat and Tall Pine. Wait for word.” 

Leatherstocking looked in the direction indi¬ 
cated and there he saw a score of Hurons 
crowding down on the beach. In the fore¬ 
ground he could make out the figures of Hutter 
and March. Although they moved about with 
an ease that indicated the removal of their 
bonds, they were apparently closely guarded to 
prevent a sudden break for liberty. Towards 
this group the Indian on the raft was paddling 
furiously. 

As the lone raftsman drew nearer shore the 
warriors on the beach, knowing from his 
haste that something unforeseen had happened, 
crowded forward into the water, the sooner 
to hear his message. He jumped excitedly out 
onto the sandy bottom and splashed forward 
until he had reached Rivenoak. 


RANSOM 


153 


“Where are the canoes to take the Huron 
warriors to the white man’s lodge to hear the 
words of the white man’s God?” demanded the 
chief, a cruel smile about his lips at the irony 
thus expressed. 

‘‘White man’s God has no words for Huron 
warriors,” returned the warrior. 44 But white 
men have gifts for Rivenoak in exchange for 
Muskrat and Tall Pine.” 

The Hurons crowded about while he ex¬ 
plained the nature of these gifts—the big moose 
with two tails—and, inspired by his own words, 
he waxed eloquent as he dwelt on the wonders 
of the little images and their powers to add 
to the glory of his tribe. At length, he con¬ 
cluded his story, and the warriors were silent. 

44 Moose with two tails,” ruminated Riven- 
oak as though mentally listing the qualifica¬ 
tions of the gifts the white men were offering 
him. 

4 4 Moose with two tails and tusks like the 
wild boar,” corrected the story teller. 

Rivenoak frowned thoughtfully. Then he 
turned to the warriors who still pressed about 
him. 

‘‘Make ready the rafts,” he commanded. 
4 ‘Rivenoak will see with his own eyes.” 

All through this colloquy Floatin’ Tom and 


154 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Harry March had watched their captors with 
renewed hope. They could not approach the 
group of warriors, for they were kept hack 
by the four guards who had been detailed to 
keep an eye on them. Most of the words of 
the young Huron had reached their ears but, 
since neither had mastery of the Huron tongue, 
the meaning was entirely lost upon them. 

“Looks like we’ve a chance, old Tom,” re¬ 
marked Hurry Harry, now having regained 
some small portion of his wonted spirit. 
“Them Mingos are doin’ a powerful lot of 
talkin’.” 

“Can’t tell what a Mingo means, even when 
he talks,” grunted Hutter. “Maybe our scalps 
mil stay on our heads—maybe they’ll hang in 
some Mingo lodge. Don’t be too sure, Harry.” 

At this point Rivenoak approached the two 
captives, a bland smile struggling with the 
habitual ferocity of his weirdly painted fea¬ 
tures. 

“The Muskrat and the Tall Pine go to big 
lodge in lake with Rivenoak,” he said. “Soon 
be free. White man in lodge offer gifts for 
trade.” 

March gave voice to a relieved laugh, but 
Hutter, his inborn hatred for redskins break- 


RANSOM 155 

ing out even in this delicate situation, flashed 
a savage look at the chief. 

“All Mingos are liars,” he snarled. “Biven- 
oak biggest liar of all. You’ll never get aboard 
the Castle, I’ll be bound.” 

Bivenoak smiled evilly. 

“Some time soon Muskrat sorry be call Biv¬ 
enoak liar,” he said with unveiled meaning. 
“Muskrat’s scalp none too firm on Muskrat’s 
head.” 

And he turned away. 

“You old fool,” March grated at Hutter, 
“can’t you let well enough alone? Why ag- 
garvate the Mingos now?” 

“Nothin’s ever well enough with a Mingo,” 
observed Hutter dryly. “We’re no worse off 
than before.” 

An order from Bivenoak put an end to all 
conversation. Hutter and March were hurried 
to the water’s edge, where they were astonished 
to see six large rafts held by Hurons. Each 
raft was well covered with leaves and dried 
grass so that the logs from which they had 
been fashioned were completely concealed. 
The Indians were climbing aboard, five to each 
raft, and Bivenoak took his place on the fore¬ 
most one. The captives were ordered to their 


156 LEATHERSTOCKING 

places and their guards joined them. Slowly 
this strange armada got underway as the war¬ 
riors swung their long paddles, and bore down 
upon their objective, Muskrat Castle. 


CHAPTER XH 


MINGO TREACHERY 

“What are they doing now, Judith? Tell 
me, please.’’ 

Hetty was standing on tiptoe in an attempt 
to see through the window on the shore side 
of the Castle. But the window was serving as 
a vantage point for Judith, Leatherstocking 
and Chingachgook and, consequently, Hetty 
could see nothing. 

Leatherstocking and the Mohican were closely 
watching the shore, hut Judith, not satisfied 
with what her eyes told her, had brought out 
her father’s brass-barreled spy glass for a bet¬ 
ter view. 

“They are all boarding rafts now, Hetty,” 
she said, “and father and Harry are with 
them. And they aren’t bound, dear; that must 
mean that they are to be set free. But where 
did they get those rafts, Leather stocking?” 

“Just what I’ve been wonderin’,” he re¬ 
plied. 

“Hurons build rafts to attack big lodge here 
in water, ’ ’ volunteered the Mohican. 6 ‘ No have 
157 


158 LEATHERSTOCKING 

canoes, so build rafts. Chingachgook bear Riv- 
enoak say.” 

44 Well, that means that we’re in real dan¬ 
ger, then,” observed Leatberstocking, seri¬ 
ously. “Hutter bad best make for tbe settle- 
mints as soon as ever be can, else bis daughters 
will be tbe sufferers.” 

44 Look now, Leatberstocking,” exclaimed Ju¬ 
dith, once more training tbe spy glass on tbe 
water. 4 ‘They’re all moving towards tbe Cas¬ 
tle. The raft with father and Harry is tbe 
second in tbe line.” 

44 Aye, so it is,” returned Leatberstocking, 
44 and now they’re cornin’ so close we’ll prepare 
for them. Judith, you and Hetty remain in¬ 
doors and don’t get in line with tbe windows. 
Sarpent, you take your rifle and bide behind 
that little breastwork that crosses tbe wharf 
just below tbe front windows. Keep all tbe 
rafts covered and shoot at tbe first sign of 
trouble.” 

44 Then you don’t believe tbe Hurons will 
keep their word?” asked Judith. 

44 No Huron ever did,” he replied shortly. 
44 Get ready. They’re cornin’ near.” 

Tbe rafts, carrying perhaps twenty-five sav¬ 
ages led by Rivenoak and Se-tah-ga, were be¬ 
ing laboriously maneuvered to tbe front of tbe 


MINGO TREACHERY 159 

Castle and, at a word from the chief, started 
to close in when Leatherstocking ran out onto 
the wharf. 

“Keep back!” he called to Rivenoak, aiming 
his rifle straight at the head of that dignitary. 
“Tell your Mingos not to come closer till I 
give the word.” 

Rivenoak’s eyes blazed with fury at this curt 
greeting and he raised his hand, at which sig¬ 
nal the rafts came to a stop. His voice, how¬ 
ever, was like honey when he spoke. 

“My white brother need not fear,” he said. 
“Hurons come as friends.” 

“Mingos are no friends of white men,” re¬ 
plied Leatherstocking. “They kill and take 
scalps without mercy.” 

“Rivenoak gives his word,” insisted the 
chief. 4 ‘ Come as friends. No bring weapons. ’ ’ 

“ Rivenoak *s word has no meanm’ to me. 
He has lied to Pale Lily and his warrior has 
tried to steal canoes.” 

Rivenoak would have answered but his anger 
choked him. For a moment he seemed to be 
considering an order to his men to attack, but 
the hand of Leatherstocking kept the rifle dis¬ 
concertingly steady, and he thought better of 
it. 

“White men have big moose with two tails 


160 LEATHERSTOCKING 


for trade for Muskrat and Tall Pine,” lie said 
sullenly. “Rivenoak come see.” 

“Tell your Mingos to come three paddle 
strokes nearer,” ordered Leatherstocking, “but 
keep other rafts where they are.” 

Rivenoak’s raft was driven forward the 
stated distance and Leatherstocking, leaning 
over, tossed one of the chessmen aboard. The 
chief stooped and picked it up curiously. He 
turned it this way and that, and then handed 
it over to Se-tah-ga for further examina¬ 
tion. 

Prom the window Judith had the spy glass 
trained on the raft on which her father and 
Hurry Harry stood guarded by four Hurons. 
For the last few minutes she had noticed her 
fathers right hand pointing downward and 
evidently attempting to draw the attention 
of Leatherstocking to the floor of the raft. 
Quickly she turned the glass to the raft itself, 
and a stealthy movement of her father’s foot 
for a moment swept aside the leaves and 
branches, disclosing bows, arrows and toma¬ 
hawks. Then Hutter expressively moved his 
hands about in a way that told her all the 
rafts carried stores of weapons similarly con¬ 
cealed. 

Judith’s heart turned cold within her. This, 


MINGO TREACHERY 161 

then, was but another bit of Huron treachery ! 

Waiting for nothing more, she ran out upon 
the staging and pressed close to Leatherstock¬ 
ing’s side. 

“The Hurons are armed,” she whispered. 
“The leaves on the rafts cover bows and 
arrows and tomahawks!” 

Leatherstocking nodded his understanding, 
keeping both his eyes and his rifle trained upon 
Rivenoak. He knew what to expect when deal¬ 
ing with these deadly foes of his race, and 
he was not surprised. By keeping the chief 
constantly within range, however, he hoped to 
forestall the attack that very evidently had 
been planned carefully. 

“Don’t be afeered, Judith,” he said in a low 
tone, speaking from the corner of his mouth. 
“We’ve got the upper hand thus far. Go back 
in the Castle and keep under cover.” 

The girl turned and did as he directed. 

Apparently Rivenoak had not witnessed Ju¬ 
dith’s action, for when he looked up he gave 
no evidence of having seen her. Se-tah-ga 
handed him the ivory elephant and the chief 
called out to Leatherstocking: 

“Big moose with two tails good for Hurons. 
Bring victory in war. Make Hurons strong. 
Scalps of Muskrat and Tall Pine worth more. 


162 LEATHERSTOCKING 

You give four moose for Muskrat, four for 
Tall Pine?” 

Leatherstocking looked sharply at his ques¬ 
tioner. This was more than he had bargained 
for and he was in a quandary. The chess set 
contained but four castles altogether. He 
could not meet the offer if he would. 

“Rivenoak greedy,” he said. “Four moose 
for Muskrat and four moose for Tall Pine too 
many. Give two for Muskrat and two for Tall 
Pine.” 

The chief heard the counter-proposition and 
bent his head in conversation with Se-tah-ga. 

While this dickering was going on, Chingach- 
gook, from his place of concealment behind the 
log breastwork back of Leatherstocking, kept 
his eyes fixed on the line of rafts. He knew 
his companion could be held accountable for 
Rivenoak’s raft, but the others he considered 
his own special charge. 

Suddenly he saw that the raft immediately 
to the right of the one on which Hutter and 
March stood held only three Indians instead 
of the five he knew it had carried but a mo¬ 
ment before. Startled at this discovery, he 
swept his quick glance over each raft in turn 
and as he did so he saw two Hurons slide 
silently from another raft and disappear be- 


MINGO TREACHERY 163 

neath the water. In a flash he realized what 
was happening. 

While Rivenoak was engaging Leatherstock¬ 
ing in a meaningless controversy, from each 
raft one or two warriors were dropping stealth¬ 
ily into the lake and were swimming nnder 
water to the Castle, to climb np on the staging 
and overpower the defenders. The Mohican 
grew rigid as he watched and waited for the 
appearance of the first Huron scalp lock to 
show above the water. 

Rivenoak turned back to Leatherstocking. 

“Two moose for Muskrat, two for Tall Pine, 
be all right,’’ he agreed. 

Leatherstocking tossed a second chessman 
to the raft. 

“Now release Muskrat and Tall Pine,” he 
ordered, holding the two remaining symbols of 
ransom in his open han£. 

Rivenoak called an order to the four warriors 
guarding the captives, and one by one they dove 
over the side, leaving Hutter and March alone 
on the raft. 

“Give me them paddles,” roared Floatin’ 
Tom to the Hurons who were swimming rapidly 
towards the nearest raft. 

They did not seem inclined to obey, but an¬ 
other word of command had the desired result 


164 LEATHERSTOCKING 

and the paddles were pushed towards Tom, who 
grasped them. In another moment he and 
March were paddling towards the Castle, some 
twenty-five yards distant. 

True to his word Leatherstocking tossed the 
other two chessmen to Rivenoak’s raft and, 
as he did so, a rifle shot rang ont behind him. 
He leaped back in time to see a Huron warrior 
plunge from the staging into the water. It 
was the first wave of the attack from under 
water and Chingachgook’s bullet had found its 
mark. Instantly two more Huron scalp locks 
appeared above the edge of the wharf and then 
half a dozen warriors clambered from the 
water. With tomahawks raised, they leaped 
at Leatherstocking and Chingachgook. 

Leatherstocking fired and one of the Hurons 
pitched forward on his face. The others leaped 
over the prostrate body and closed in on the 
two defenders of the Castle, who, swinging 
their rifles like clubs, valiantly fought off their 
assailants. 

From the doorway, Judith witnessed the at¬ 
tack, and she saw that Leatherstocking and 
Chingachgook could not long hold out against 
the overpowering number of Hurons that now 
paddled their rafts towards the staging. From 
the bosom of her dress she drew one of the 


165 


MINGO TREACHERY 

silver-mounted pistols and, taking careful aim, 
she fired at a Huron whose upraised tomahawk 
was menacing the head of Leatherstocking. 
The arm dropped limply, and the Huron, ut¬ 
tering a scream of pain, withdrew from the 
fight. 

This gave Leatherstocking the opportunity 
he wanted. Swinging his long rifle by the bar¬ 
rel, he gave voice to a piercing Delaware war 
cry and literally beat his way through the sav¬ 
ages to the side of Chingachgook. Back to 
back, he and the Mohican valiantly held off 
the Hurons until, for a moment, the attacking 
redskins were driven to the end of the wharf. 

Judith, both pistols in her hands, rushed 
from the doorway and took up a post beside 
Leatherstocking, who was taking advantage of 
the moment’s respite to reload his rifle. Again 
a dozen Hurons charged down the wharf, and 
Judith’s pistols spoke. 

“Judith,” cried Hetty from the window. 
“The rafts!” 

Judith looked quickly over her shoulder and 
saw two rafts making fast to the piling. From 
the one nearest her, Rivenoak leaped up to the 
wharf, and waved the others to follow him. 

Strengthened by the appearance of their 
chief, the Hurons already on the wharf cast 


166 LEATHERSTOCKING 

all caution to the winds. With wild cries, they 
leaped upon Leatherstocking and Chingach- 
gook. Judith was carried from her feet by the 
onslaught, but the strong arm of Leatherstock¬ 
ing swept her behind him. Then began a battle 
which for years after was famous wherever 
men foregathered in the colony. 

Weaponless, Leatherstocking threw himself 
at the massed savages. A tomahawk whizzed 
past his face and he wrenched its mate from 
the hand of a Huron and sent its stone head 
deep into the skull of a warrior who was reach¬ 
ing eager hands towards Judith. Leatherstock¬ 
ing knew the odds against him were almost 
hopeless, but he was fighting for the woman he 
loved. No longer did any doubt exist in his 
mind on that point. 

Through the maze of twisting, storming sav¬ 
ages, he caught a glimpse of an evil face that 
he had learned to hate as he had never hated 
Tinman being before. It was that of Rivenoak. 
Everything else seemed to fade into nothing. 
Rivenoak alone stood out in his battle-crazed 
vision. 

With superhuman strength, Leatherstocking 
tore his way through the swinging tomahawks. 
His fists beat down every savage who dared 
stand before them and once he lifted a Huron 


MINGO TREACHERY 


167 


bodily and burled him into the lake. One last 
terrible drive, and be was face to face with Riv- 
enoak. 

6 ‘Now, Mingo!” be cried. 

Rivenoak raised bis tomahawk, but before 
be could aim a blow Leatberstocking was upon 
bim. With one band be disarmed bis foe and 
with tbe other be sent a crushing blow to the 
chief’s jaw. Rivenoak dropped in bis tracks. 

Drawing bis long hunting knife, Leather- 
stocking knelt and pressed its point against tbe 
Huron’s throat. Thunderstruck at this sud¬ 
den turn of tbe tide of battle, tbe savages drew 
back. 

‘ 6 Get on your rafts, you Mingo dogs! ” . 
roared Leatberstocking. “Get on your rafts, 
or your chief’s scalp bangs on tbe door of 
Muskrat Castle!” 

Tbe Hurons could not believe tbe evidence 
of their own eyes. That one man should have 
fought as Leatberstocking bad done was a 
severe enough tax on their credulity, but that 
be should even then bold tbe life of their chief 
in bis bands was utterly beyond tbe bounds 
of tbe possible. 

Rivenoak struggled back to consciousness 
and looked up into tbe face of bis conqueror 
with undying hatred. 


168 LEATHERSTOCKING 

“Tell them, Mingo, to start for shore/’ com¬ 
manded Leatherstocking, pressing the point of 
his knife still deeper, “or Rivenoak goes to 
be judged by the Great Manitou! ’ ’ 

Rivenoak turned his head slightly. At the 
other end of the wharf Chingachgook was a 
captive in the hands of four warriors who were 
pinning him down, anxiously awaiting the out¬ 
come of Leatherstocking’s coup. Judith was 
likewise a prisoner. Hutter and March on their 
raft were again in Huron hands. 

But in spite of this, the Hurons were power¬ 
less. Their chief was in the shadow of an ig¬ 
nominious death, and they dared not move. 

Surmising what was passing in Rivenoak’s 
mind, Leatherstocking smiled grimly. 

“Release your prisoners, Mingo,” he said 
firmly, “and tell your warriors to return to 
shore, or you die! ” 

Rivenoak was beaten. Hoarsely he called out 
to his men and they obeyed. Judith’s captors 
released their hold of her arms and ran to their 
raft, which they shoved off in haste. The cap- 
tors of Chingachgook followed the example 
thus set, and the Hurons who had recaptured 
Hutter and March unceremoniously leaped 
over the side. In a moment the staging was 


MINGO TREACHERY 169 

deserted and the rafts were being propelled 
towards the shore with all possible speed. 

Leatherstocking stood np and looked at the 
fallen chief. 

16 Get np! ’ ’ he commanded ronghly. 

Rivenoak leaped to his feet and stood glar¬ 
ing at the victor. 

“Now, Mingo, swim for it!” cried Leather¬ 
stocking, as he gave the Huron a vigorous 
push that sent him headlong into the water. 

Rivenoak struggled to the surface and swam 
rapidly towards the nearest raft which waited 
for him. When Hutter and March pulled 
alongside the staging, the last of the Hurons 
were nearing the shore. 

Grimness and silence were so much parts of 
Hutter’s nature that the expression of any 
emotion other than anger or impatience seemed 
utterly foreign to him. It is true that he had 
been visibly moved when Hetty braved the 
Huron camp alone in an effort to bring about 
his release, hut that was at a time when death 
seemed only a few moments away, and man’s 
nature may be excused for asserting itself in 
its true guise in the awful presence. 

Now, however, when he stepped on the stag¬ 
ing, once more in possession of his freedom, 


170 LEATHERSTOCKING 

lie became again the taciturn master of Musk¬ 
rat Castle. Judith and Hetty flung'themselves 
into his arms, their kisses and terms of en¬ 
dearment mingling with joyful tears, but, aside 
from pressing them closely to his breast and 
burying his face for the briefest instant in 
Hetty’s golden hair, he maintained a stoical 
control of face and action. 

44 Thar, now, my gals,” he said, with a gentle 
note in his gruff voice, 1 6 we ’re all safe and 
sound, but not out of the woods yet.” 

Leatherstocking was regarding him curi¬ 
ously, for he did not understand how a father 
could be unmoved at these evidences of love 
from his daughters. Such apparent callous¬ 
ness, especially where Judith was concerned, 
was beyond his comprehension. He tried to 
picture himself standing coldly by while Ju¬ 
dith’s arms circled his neck and Judith’s lips 
pressed against his. The task was too great 
for his imagination, and he sighed as he 
watched Hutter pull gently aw£y from his 
daughters. 

“Young man,” he called out, turning to 
Leatherstocking, whose hand he gripped firmly, 
“ ’twas a brave fight you made. I’ve never 
seen a better. I’m obleeged to you for pro¬ 
tectin’ my gals, and for savin’ me as well.” 


171 


MINGO TREACHERY 

“ ’Tis little enough to do for a friend,’’ 
Leatherstocking replied with evident embar¬ 
rassment, 4 4 but I was afeered all I could do 
would be far too little. Luck had much to do 
with it—luck and the courage of your daugh¬ 
ters.” 

“It wasn’t luck that caused you to capture 
Rivenoak himself,” declared Judith, with un¬ 
disguised admiration shining in her eyes. 
“Such bravery and strength I never saw be¬ 
fore.” 

“Oh, ’twas luck as much as anything,” in¬ 
terrupted March, who had been looking on with 
a growing anger. 

He strode up to the little group and from 
his great height looked down with contempt 
on the stripling Leatherstocking who had out¬ 
fought and outwitted an entire Huron war 
party. 

“ ’Twas your luck to be here with Jude,” 
he snarled, “and mine to be a prisoner. Small 
wonder she’s so loud in your praise. I’ll war¬ 
rant you made the most of your time.” 

Leatherstocking was slow to comprehend the 
meaning so obvious in this sudden outburst 
from the man he called friend, but Judith 
whirled on March, her face flaming. 

“How dare you say such a thing!” she de- 


172 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


manded indignantly. “You, Harry March— 
braggart, bully—coward! ’ 9 

The last word was fairly shrieked, and 
March winced at her fury. But she had not 
finished. 

“Had it not been for you encouraging father 
in a scalp hunt, this would not have happened, ’ 9 
she cried. “You would scalp a sleeping Huron 
warrior or a squaw for gold! But you make 
a sorry sight when you attempt to belittle a 
brave man—a real man! You are unspeak¬ 
able t” 

Judith turned abruptly and ran into the Cas¬ 
tle, leaving both the man she defended and the 
man she attacked staring after her in bewil¬ 
derment. 

Hutter looked after her and scratched his 
head. 

“Jude must be a bit overwrought ! 91 he ob¬ 
served. 


CHAPTER XIII 


UNMASKED 

Early evening found the inhabitants of the 
Castle grave and thoughtful. Once more they 
were united, but they knew that they were no 
longer safe from attack. Rivenoak had been 
bested for the moment, but his was not the 
nature to forget the indignities heaped upon 
him by the hated Yengees. He would strike 
again, that was certain. And when he did, it 
might safely be assumed that he would throw 
all his power into the blow. 

u Every minute we stay here jist adds to the 
danger,” Leatherstocking remarked. “The 
Mingos outnumber us near ten to one in fightin’ 
men alone. They can reach the Castle when¬ 
ever they wish with their rafts. That means 
that they can surround us, and then we might 
as well give up. My advice to you, Hutter, is 
to take your girls and make for the settlemints 
—this very night.” 

“And you,” asked Judith with concern, 
“would you come with us!” 

173 


174 LEATHERSTOCKING 

March glared at the girl as she put this ques¬ 
tion, although he thought it best not to speak 
his mind. 

“No,” answered Leatherstocking, “not I. 
iVe a mission to perform—two, in truth. 
First I must help the Sarpent get Wah-ta-Wah 
away from the Mingos. Second, I must carry 
Tamenund’s message to the tribes beyond the 
lake. I may yet be in time to keep them from 
j’inin’ with the French.” 

Floatin’ Tom looked up with the air of a 
man in pursuit of an elusive thought. Then 
he slapped his knee. 

“Hold hard,” he cried. “But for you 
namin’ the Injin gal, I’d never ha’ remem¬ 
bered! Listen, ye, Mohican!” 

Chingachgook, who had maintained a grim 
silence ever since March had shown his true 
colors, drew closer. 

“Mohican,” said Hutter, “the Injin gal, 
“Wah-ta-Wah, bade me give you this message. 
She crept up to me while the Mingos was 
makin’ ready to bring us to the Castle. There’s 
a big bright star comes over the hill by the 
camp an hour after dark sets in. When that 
star comes in sight to-night she’ll be waitin’ 
for you at the foot of the cliff.” 

Chingachgook said no word, but his eyes 


UNMASKED 175 

shone with the joy he felt at this message from 
his beloved. 

‘ 1 And, mind ye, Mohican,” Hntter went on 
earnestly, “don’t fail the gal. Rivenoak has 
promised her to Briarthorn as his sqnaw. She 
told me that.” 

The Mohican’s muscles grew tense. 

“Chingachgook not fail,” he muttered 
grimly. 

“And I’ll he with ye, Sarpent,” exclaimed 
Leatherstocking, with enthusiasm, grasping his 
friend’s hand. 

Judith was ill at ease. Since the scene on 
the wharf she had not spoken a word to March. 
She had studiously ignored him, hut she was 
conscious of the fact that never for a moment 
had his angry eyes left her. March’s atten¬ 
tions had long been odious to her, for she re¬ 
sented his air of proprietorship. Now she felt 
that she could endure him no longer, hut deep 
down in her heart was the fear that he might 
revenge himself not upon her hut upon Leath¬ 
erstocking, and this caused her no little appre¬ 
hension for the consequences of her recent out¬ 
burst. 

Quietly she left the group in the Castle and 
sought the cool evening air on the staging. 
Dusk was falling and the sky was overcast, 


176 LEATHERSTOCKING 

boding ill for the rising star as the signal for 
Chingachgook’s attempt at rescuing the Dela¬ 
ware girl. A footfall behind Judith caused her 
to turn with a start and she saw the towering 
bulk of Hurry Harry. 

“Buildin’ air castles, I suppose,” he said, 
with an attempt at lightness. 

Judith turned her back upon him, but he 
stepped in front of her. 

“You’re failin’ in love with Leather stock¬ 
ing, ’ ’ he went on hoarsely. ‘ ‘ I won’t stand it! ” 

The girl regarded him coldly for a moment. 

“I don’t recognize your right to question me 
or my thoughts, ’ ’ she declared. 4 4 Please leave 
me.” 

But March was past the point where reason 
dictated his words. He bent over her and the 
look in his eyes caused her to draw back in 
fright. 

“He is a coward,” March raged. “He knew 
you were mine, but he made love to you while 
I was a prisoner in the Mingo camp. Well, 
by God, he’ll never take you from me, Judith!” 

“Stop!” she commanded, all fear gone in a 
burst of anger at this unjust accusation. “He 
risked his life to save father and you! Would 
you be ingrate as well as—” 


UNMASKED 


177 


A sudden glare of light burst over the stag¬ 
ing and an arrow, its head hound around with 
a small bundle of blazing twigs, fell at their 
feet. Judith screamed in terror and Leather¬ 
stocking and Chingachgook came in answer to 
her cry. At a glance, the two understood. 
Leatherstocking stamped out the fire and 
picked up the arrow, an expression of deep 
concern on his face. / 

“ ’Tis Rivenoak’s message of war/’ he ex¬ 
claimed. “Now it’s a fight to the death!” 

March ran to the edge of the wharf and 
peered out across the water. 

“Thar’s the Injin that did it,” he cried, 
pointing. 

The others looked and saw a small raft be¬ 
ing paddled rapidly away from the Castle by 
a Huron who was crouched upon it. At that 
moment, Hutter appeared in the doorway with 
his rifle in the hollow of his arm. March leaped 
towards him and tore the weapon away. He 
raised it and took careful aim at the escaping 
Indian, but Leatherstocking struck the barrel 
aside and the bullet went harmlessly into the 
air. 

“A coward’s trick, Harry,” he exclaimed. 
“The Mingo caught us nappin’. He delivered 


178 LEATHERSTOCKING 

his message fair and square, and we’ll have 
no shootin’ of him in the back when he’s tryin’ 
to escape.” 

Judith turned her eyes away, fully expecting 
that March would forcibly resent this interfer¬ 
ence with his plans, but she was needlessly 
alarmed. March stood glaring angrily at 
Leatherstocking, who looked straight into his 
eyes unflinchingly. 

“ That’s what comes of havin’ to do with a 
white Injin,” he said, his lip curling in scorn. 
“Never mind, my time’s a-comin’, and when 
it does, we’ll have a full settlin’ of accounts.” 

With that, March stalked away to the other 
end of the wharf. He, too, had made a decla¬ 
ration of war, and Judith’s heart told her that 
his manner of warfare would be little less in¬ 
human than that of the Hurons. 
i Leatherstocking frowned, but otherwise ig¬ 
nored this open threat. He understood the 
cause of March’s enmity or at least he assumed 
it to be his own feeling for Judith, and he 
flushed at the thought that his love had been 
so evident, even though he had spoken no word 
of it. What he did not know, of course, was 
Judith’s rejection of Harry a few moments be¬ 
fore. 

“We’ve not a chance if they attack us in 


UNMASKED 170 

force to-night,” Hutter broke into his train of 
thought. 

“ Aye, there’s truth in that,” agreed Leather¬ 
stocking. “I hold as I held before—abandon 
the Castle and take to the ark at once. There 
we can at least keep movin’, and movin’ faster 
than the Mingos on their rafts.” 

This suggestion was immediately acted upon, 
and for the next few minutes the Castle bustled 
with activity as all the necessary articles of 
household use were transferred to the cabin 
of the ark. At length the preparations were 
complete and Leatherstocking glanced up at 
the heavy sky. 

‘ c Come, Sarpent,” he said, turning to the 
Mohican, ‘‘ we’d best be makin’ for shore. The 
star won’t show this night.” 

“Chingachgook ready,” came the answer. 

By this time the entire party had boarded 
the ark, and Hutter and March pulled care¬ 
fully on the sweeps, getting it slowly under 
way. One of the four canoes that trailed at 
the stern was brought alongside and the Mo¬ 
hican, clasping his rifle, stepped lightly into 
it. Hutter loosened his hold on the sweep and 
bent nearer Leatherstocking. 

“Can we do aught to help you?” he asked 
in a low tone. 


180 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Leatherstocking shook his head. 

“ ’Tis all in God’s hands now,” he said sol¬ 
emnly. “For safety’s sake let no noise come 
from the ark. When we reach the Mingo camp, 
a sound to attract their attention would be fatal 
to us. The cry of the loon will be our signal 
that we’ve arrived safely. After that keep 
silence here, or we’re lost.” 

“Have no fear, lad,” Hutter pressed Leath¬ 
erstocking’s hand; “it shall be as you say. And 
now, luck to you!” 

Leatherstocking stepped into the canoe be¬ 
side Chingachgook. In the darkness he could 
not see the evil smile that came over the face 
of March. He probably would have paid little 
heed if he had, for his mind at that moment 
was occupied by the thought that Judith had 
not come forward to wish him Godspeed. This 
hurt him far more than any menace March 
might represent. 

If Leather stocking’s heart was sore, Judith’s 
was equally wounded, but from a different 
cause. March’s threat had made her frantic 
with fear for the safety of the man she loved. 
That death would loom through every moment 
of this stealthy advance on the Huron camp, 
she had not the slightest doubt. March’s jeal¬ 
ousy was already threatening. She could not 


f 


UNMASKED 


181 


bring herself further to subject Leather stock¬ 
ing to its consequences by bidding him good-by, 
for she knew she was not strong enough to 
let him go with only a word of farewell. She 
longed to feel herself clasped in his arms, to 
have his lips pressed against hers. But she 
dared not. His safety meant too much to her. 
She buried her face in her hands and struggled 
to keep back the sobs that would betray her 
to March. 

Leather stocking’s last good-by came softly 
across the gradually widening strip of water 
that separated the canoe and the ark. A pad¬ 
dle splashed gently, and then—silence. 

Crouched on the deck, Judith stared with un¬ 
seeing eyes into the darkness that now had 
become complete. The ark was moving slowly 
southward down Glimmerglass in the direction 
in which lay the Huron camp. Hutter had de¬ 
termined to bring up as near as possible to the 
point where he and March had landed on their 
ill-fated scalp-hunting expedition, for he felt 
that Leather stocking and Chingachgook would 
choose that spot to beach their canoe. This 
maneuver at least would make the ark a pos¬ 
sible factor in their escape, and Hutter was 
far from sanguine as to the outcome. 

At length the ark reached its destination, as 


182 LEATHERSTOCKING 

nearly as Hntter could gauge his position in 
the darkness, and the sweeps were unshipped. 

“A bit of rest wouldn’t come amiss,” he ob¬ 
served, stretching his arms above his head. 

“Take it then, old man,” exclaimed March 
with an attempt at cordiality. “I’ll watch out 
on deck while you turn in for an hour. ’Twill 
do you good.” 

Hutter yawned a sleepy assent and disap¬ 
peared in the cabin where Hetty was already 
in a troubled slumber. 

Judith, every sense on the alert, was aware 
without looking up that March was approach¬ 
ing her. His moccasined feet made no sound 
on the deck as he stealthily drew nearer, and 
she shuddered instinctively with all the loath¬ 
ing of one who walks in darkness through a 
swamp known to be inhabited by poisonous 
snakes. 

Suddenly he stopped and for a moment stood 
motionless. Judith shot a quick glance at him, 
but instead of finding his crafty eyes turned 
upon her, she saw that he was peering towards 
shore as if waiting for some signal. 

The meaning of this strange attitude did not 
dawn upon her at once. Then like a flash she 
realized that he was waiting for the cry of 


UNMASKED 183 

the loon that would announce Leatherstock¬ 
ing’s arrival in the enemy’s stronghold. 

The hand that had been clenched at March’s 
side now stole cautiously to the front of his 
tunic and the shining butt of one of Hutter’s 
silver-mounted pistols was brought into view. 
Judith’s heart froze with terror as the signifi¬ 
cance of this action came to her. 

Mad with jealousy, March planned a fiendish 
revenge that would forever silence his rival. 
The cry of the loon would bring with it the 
death of Leatherstocking, for the moment it 
rang out upon the night, the report of the pistol 
would send the Hurons scouring through the 
brush in search of the cause of the alarm. 
Leatherstocking could not hope to escape. 

An evil smile played about March’s cruel 
lips. His hour of triumph was at hand. 

Judith struggled to her feet, her eyes wide 
with terror. 

“In God’s name, Harry—not that!” she 
pleaded. “I’ll marry you—I’ll go with you 
where you wish—but spare him!” 

“Very like,” sneered March, looking down 
at her, the light of madness burning from be¬ 
tween narrowed eyelids, “very like! You love 
him, do you! Enough to give yourself to me 


184 LEATHERSTOCKING 


to save him, eh? Well, mark ye, my fine lady, 
I want none of yonr favor at that price! You 
speak too late! His scalp hangs in a Huron 
lodge by sunrise, or my name’s not Hurry 
Harry March!” 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE BETRAYAL 

In silence Leatherstocking and Chingach- 
gook drove the canoe towards shore, the for¬ 
mer with a heart saddened at Judith’s cold¬ 
ness. Both realized fall well the dangers which 
lay head of them. The defeat of the Hurons 
that afternoon, the degradation of the chief in 
the presence of his people, the release of Hut- 
ter and March, all had served to whip into fury 
the racial hatred for the whites, and Riven- 
oak’s blazing declaration of war to the death 
hut proved that hope for a peaceful settlement 
of differences had vanished. 

Leather stocking knew the penalty of discov¬ 
ery. If either he or the Mohican fell into 
Huron hands that night, the scalping knife 
would surely he steeped in blood, hut not be¬ 
fore the most inhuman tortures conceivable in 
a savage mind had been inflicted. It was a 
gamble with death in its most horrible form, 
with the odds all against the two brave men 
who steadily paddled onward into the night. 

185 


186 LEATHERSTOCKING 

The canoe grated on the beach, and the first 
stage of the journey was ended. With the ut¬ 
most caution Leatherstocking and his compan¬ 
ion lifted the craft from the water, carried it 
into the brush and made their rifles ready for 
instant use. In silence the Mohican pointed 
into the forest and started off, Leatherstocking 
close on his heels. 

As they drew near the cliff they realized that 
the darkness was too intense to permit them to 
see any one who might be hiding there, friend 
or foe. 

“Go up top—see camp there,’’ whispered 
Chingachgook, and the two crept up the slope 
that flanked the cliff on the side nearest them. 

Several minutes passed before they reached 
the top, for it was necessary for them to go 
slowly, to feel about for every resting place 
for hands and knees to avoid dislodging loose 
pebbles that in rolling down the hill would 
warn the Hurons of their presence. At last 
they crouched in the underbrush above the cliff 
and before them lay the Huron camp. 

The fire was blazing high and the warriors 
were seated about it as if in council. Rivenoak 
stood before them. Beside him was Briarthorn, 
who clasped the wrist of Wah-ta-Wah as if to 
prevent her breaking away. 


187 


THE BETRAYAL 

“What says the Delaware maid, now?” asked 
Rivenoak, turning from the assemblage and 
facing Wah-ta-Wah. “Will she become the 
squaw of Briarthorn?” 

Wah-ta-Wah drew herself up proudly and 
glared her defiance at the chief. 

“Briarthorn is a coward,” she said con¬ 
temptuously. “Briarthorn is a man without a 
tribe. His lies and treachery are as the leaves 
of the trees. The Delawares will not have him. 
Only the murdering Hurons stoop so low. 
Wah-ta-Wah will die before she will go to his 
lodge!” 

Rivenoak’s fury could no longer be re¬ 
strained. 

“Delaware maid, you go to Briarthorn’s 
lodge this night! ” he roared. ‘ ‘ I have spoken. ’ ’ 

With a laugh of triumph Briarthorn seized 
the girl and, throwing her lightly over his 
shoulder, he ran from the circle of grinning 
Hurons. 

Chingachgook clutched Leather stocking’s 
arm and pointed. Briarthorn’s path lay di¬ 
rectly in front of the bushes behind which the 
two were concealed. 

“Now!” gasped Leatherstocking. 

The Mohican reached out his arms. His fin¬ 
gers closed on Briarthorn’s throat and the Del- 


188 LEATHERSTOCKING 

aware, with his captive, was pulled through the 
screen of bushes. 

Luckily, the Hurons had more weighty mat¬ 
ters to consider than the fate of an unwilling 
bride. No sooner had Briarthorn left the circle 
than they dismissed him from their thoughts 
and turned their attention to Rivenoak’s appeal 
for another attack on the Castle. Thus en¬ 
gaged, they had not witnessed the Delaware’s 
sudden disappearance. 

Chingachgook grasped the struggling Wah- 
ta-Wah in his arms while Leatherstocking bore 
Briarthorn to the ground. The Mohican, un¬ 
fortunately forgetting caution in his desire to 
notify his white companions of the success of 
the venture, raised his cupped hand to his lips 
and the cry of the loon rang out through the 
night. Instantly he was gone down the steep 
path, with his lovely burden over his shoulder. 

Leatherstocking held the Delaware still for 
a second and looked up. From the lake came 
the sharp crack of a gun, and he knew his doom 
was sealed. 

Quickly releasing his hold on the unconscious 
Briarthorn, he started down the hill, but he 
was too late. Suddenly the brush was alive 
with Hurons warned by the shot of impending 


189 


THE BETRAYAL 

evil, and lie found himself surrounded. Wild 
cries tore at his ears as the savages spied him. 
The fight he made was all that human strength 
could offer, hut the odds were too great. He 
was hurled to the ground under the rush of 
warriors—a prisoner at the mercy of Riven- 
oak. 

The shot that delivered Leatherstocking into 
Huron hands irrevocably allied Hurry Harry 
March with the foes of his race, and Judith, 
staring at him in unbelieving horror, dumbly 
watched his hand lower the pistol. In her eyes 
it was the hand of a murderer, and she shrank 
from him as he faced her with an air of bravado 
that his trembling lips belied. Judith stag¬ 
gered to the cabin and grasped at it uncertainly 
for support. March’s shot might as well have 
found its mark in her heart, for she was as 
one who had received a death blow. 

“What’s amiss?” demanded Hutter, stum¬ 
bling to the deck and staring wildly about him 
in an effort to rouse his faculties from the 
heavy sleep from which the shot had awakened 
him. “I heerd a shot. Is it the Injins?” 

Judith braced herself against the cabin and 
pointed an accusing finger at March, who, in 
his confusion, was struggling to conceal the 


190 LEATHERSTOCKING 


pistol in his tunic. Hetty, who had followed 
her father, threw an arm protectingly about her 
sister. 

“Ask 11™!” Judith replied in a voice that 
broke despite her effort to control it. 

March put up a bold front as he faced Tom 
Hutter, but the false note rang so clearly that 
his words brought only frank if unspoken dis¬ 
belief. 

‘ ‘ I fired the shot,’ ’ he admitted hoarsely. ‘ c I 
thought I saw a raft of Mingos off there . 99 

He pointed vaguely into the darkness and his 
eyes fell under Judith’s glance. 

“He lies, father,” she exclaimed; “the truth 
is not in him. He fired to warn the Hurons 
that Leatherstocking was in their camp!” 

“Judith, gal, what are you sayin’!” 

“It’s true,” she declared. “Harry March 
hated Leatherstocking because I—I loved him. 
He waited until he heard the loon cry—you re¬ 
member, that was to be the signal—then he 
fired. Oh, the monster!” 

Unable longer to bear up under the weight 
of her grief, Judith sank into her father’s 
arms, incoherently sobbing out her story of 
March’s treachery. 

“What’s the meanin’ of this?” Hutter de¬ 
manded fiercely. “Speak, man!” 


THE BETRAYAL* 191 

March shifted uneasily. His eyes avoided 
those of his questioner as he mumbled: 

“Jude’s mistaken. ’Twas as I told you. I 
thought the Mingos was cornin’.” 

A splashing in the water in front of the ark 
caused him to start in fright. The canoe bear¬ 
ing Chingachgook and Wah-ta-Wah slid rap¬ 
idly into view, and, holding the painter in one 
hand, the Mohican leaped to the deck. 

“Who fire shot?” he demanded, his fierce 
eyes searching the faces of Hutter and March 
as he unsheathed his hunting knife. 

March drew back in abject terror, for there 
was no mistaking Chingachgook’s determina¬ 
tion to have a satisfactory explanation. 

“Harry March—” began Judith, but her 
father clasped his hand over her mouth, for 
he knew that March’s life would not be worth 
a puff if the Mohican learned the truth. 

“ ’Twas a mistake, Mohican,” he said, speak¬ 
ing rapidly, “and no one’s to blame. Tall Pine 
fired the shot thinkin’ he saw a raftful of 
Mingo warriors about to attack.” 

Chingachgook listened in silence. His disbe¬ 
lief was obvious, and March, trembling with 
fear at the sight of the gleaming knife, cringed 
against the cabin. The Mohican turned to 
Hetty. 


192 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


“Pale Lily love Great Manitou,” lie said 
grimly. “No tell lie. Pale Lily say Tall Pine 
make mistake!” 

Hetty tried to speak, but the words would 
not come. She knew her sister bad spoken the 
truth. March’s terror was evidence of it. She 
did love the Great Manitou, and she would not 
lie. Strange to say, it was this that saved 
Hurry Harry from the Mohican’s knife. 

The turning of the question to her sister 
roused Judith as nothing else could have done. 
She understood Hetty’s quandary and she re¬ 
alized, too, that the truth would bring with 
it another death. She could not in cold blood 
send a white man—even one so low as March 
—to his fate. 

“Pale Lily tired,” she said quickly, stepping 
between Hetty and the Mohican. “I will an¬ 
swer for her. Tall Pine made a mistake. He 
thought he saw Huron warriors.” 

Hetty pressed her sister’s hand in gratitude, 
and Chingachgook, accepting the explanation 
as truth, turned away. 

4 ‘ Tall Pine—big fool, ’ ’ he muttered. ‘* Come 
sunrise Leatherstocking be dead.” 

He made the canoe fast to an iron bolt and 
helped Wah-ta-Wah to the deck of the ark. 


THE BETRAYAL 193 

“She be Wah-ta-Wah,” he said by way of 
introduction. 

Hetty caught the Indian girl’s hands in hers. 

“I’m glad you’re free,” she exclaimed. 
“You tried to help me, and I’m so thankful 
to you.” 

Wah-ta-Wah smiled with pleasure at Hetty’s 
sincere greeting. 

“Wah-ta-Wah glad you no be Huron squaw,” 
she replied. 

Hetty led her into the cabin, where they were 
joined by Judith, who had somewhat regained 
her composure. 

“Tell me,” she urged, “did you see Leather- 
stocking?” 

“No see but Chingachgook,” answered Wah- 
ta-Wah, and then she proceeded to tell what 
she knew of her rescue. This was very little. 
She had been thrown over the shoulder of 
Briarthorn and the next thing she knew Ching¬ 
achgook was running with her through the for¬ 
est to the lake. So rapidly had the Mohican 
run that they were already nearing the shore 
when the sound of the pistol shot was heard. 

“But Leatherstocking,” persisted Judith, 
“can nothing be done to save him? There must 
be a way—I am sure there must be!” 


194 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Wah-ta-Wah was silent for a moment, then 
she said softly, with an attempt at reassur¬ 
ance: 

“No can help now. Wait for sun. Maybe 
then.” 

“But by sunrise he may be dead!” cried 
Judith. “We can’t wait!” 

“Judith, dear, please do not torture yourself 
with such thoughts,” entreated Hetty, gently 
placing her arms about her sister. “Leather- 
stocking is brave and clever. More than all 
that, he loves God. God will not let one of His 
children suffer. He will show us the way in 
which we can help, but we must ask His guid¬ 
ance. We must pray for His help.” 

Hetty sank to her knees on the floor of the 
cabin, her lips moving in prayer, and Judith 
knelt beside her. 

Gone was the Judith Hutter whose “folly” 
had so cruelly been voiced by Harry March. 
In her place was the Judith of Leatherstock- 
ing’s heart, and the difference between the two 
was as marked as the difference between night 
and day. 

Wah-ta-Wah looked on in awe. The words 
she heard were for the greater part meaning¬ 
less to her, but instinctively she felt that she 


THE BETRAYAL 


195 


was at that moment standing in the presence 
of the Great Spirit who watched alike over 
paleface and Indian. Silently she stole out 
on deck, where she crouched near the door to 
guard against intrusion upon this sacred coun¬ 
cil. 

From the moment Judith had so bravely lied 
to prevent her sister from telling the truth 
that would have meant his death at the hands 
of Chingachgook, Harry March resumed his 
wonted boastfulness. He felt that he had been 
exonerated in the eyes of his companions for 
complicity in the capture of Leatherstocking 
and now he showed no sign of the fear that 
gripped him when the Mohican’s hunting knife 
had gleamed its menace. 

“Thar’s little to be gained by waitin’, Tom,” 
he said as he sat cross-legged on the deck, 
cleaning the barrel of his rifle. “Leatherstock¬ 
ing’s a prisoner; that can’t be changed. The 
EMingos is arter our scalps. That can be 
changed. Cut loose from the ark, I say, and 
take to the canoes. It’s only two days by river 
to the settlemints.” 

Hutter made no reply, but Chingachgook 
could not let this heartless suggestion pass un¬ 
challenged. 


196 leatherstocking 

“Tall Pine be friend to Leather stocking,” 
he said scornfully. “ Chingachgook happy Tall 
Pine not friend of his. ” 

“What mean ye by that, Mohican!” de¬ 
manded March angrily. 

“Leatherstocking save Tall Pine and Musk¬ 
rat from Hurons,” went on the Mohican un¬ 
moved. “Tall Pine shoot pistol and warn 
Hurons Leatherstocking in camp. Leather¬ 
stocking prisoner. Soon go to Great Manitou. 
Tall Pine say run away. Tall Pine be coward 
like fox.” 

“Hold fast, Mohican,” interrupted Hutter, 
anxious to placate the Indian for fear of fur¬ 
ther bloodshed. “You’re right and Harry’s 
right, but you’re both partly wrong. Three 
of us can’t save Leatherstocking now; the 
Mingos is sot on havin’ his scalp. ’Tis our 
duty to save ourselves as best we may.” 

“Tall Pine be coward,” continued the Mo¬ 
hican, ignoring Hutter’s words. “Tall Pine 
liar. Tall Pine no make mistake when fire 
pistol.” 

March started in guilty fear. All his bravado 
left him, and what remained was but the hulk 
of a man afraid. Fiercely the eyes of Ching¬ 
achgook burned into his and he knew that Ju¬ 
dith’s ruse had failed. Unsteadily he rose to 


THE BETRAYAL 


197 


his feet and sought the other end of the ark. 
Hutter watched the departing figure with a 
mingling of disgust and anger. 

“No fear, Mohican,” he said. “Tom Hutter 
won’t leave a friend like Leatherstocking in 
the hands of them red devils if he can help it.” 

“Muskrat be brave man,” answered Ching¬ 
achgook. “Muskrat have daughters. Must 
save them first. Chingachgook stay for help 
Leatherstocking. ’’ 

“I’ve protected them gals afore and I can 
do it ag’in,” exclaimed Hutter. “You and me 
together will save him, if he can be saved.” 

The night was waning when quiet finally 
reigned on the ark. Judith and Hetty and 
Wah-tah-Wah sought what rest they might in 
the cabin. Hutter dozed fitfully at his post 
by the door, striving unsuccessfully to keep 
both eyes open for a possible renewal of hos¬ 
tilities between the Mohican and March. 

Chingachgook, however, made no sign that 
might be construed as threatening. He sat, 
motionless as a statue, gazing steadily towards 
shore. 

As for Hurry Harry March, he kept lonely 
vigil at the stern. With his rifle cocked across 
his knees, he watched the Mohican with an in¬ 
tensity that made his eyes smart. He knew 


198 LEATHERSTOCKING 

that he was indeed in peril, and the fact that 
his treacherous heart admitted its treachery- 
served but to intensify the terror that held him 
in its grip. Harry March was waiting for the 
death he felt certain would be meted out to him 
by the Mohican, and the night was a horror 
that seemed never to end. 


CHAPTER XV 


IN HURON HANDS 

Taken wholly unawares by the unexpected 
shot from the lake, Leatherstocking had had 
little opportunity to follow Chingachgook be¬ 
fore the Hurons were crashing through the 
underbrush all about him in frantic search 
for the cause of the alarm. Leatherstocking 
dropped the unconscious body of Briarthorn 
and picked up his rifle, but a tomahawk struck 
his arm a glancing blow, paralyzing it for the 
moment. 

With his good arm he swung the rifle like 
a club and backed cautiously in the direction 
of the slope. Three Hurons sprang at him. 
The whirling rifle butt crushed the jaw of one, 
and he fell writhing in agony as the blood 
gushed from his mouth, but in a flash the other 
two closed in. They tore the rifle from Leath¬ 
erstocking’s hand and bore him to the ground. 

Instantly the entire war party rushed down 
upon them, and Leatherstocking knew that fur¬ 
ther resistance would be worse than useless. 
To avoid a possible knife thrust, he quit strug- 

199 


200 LEATHERSTOCKING 

gling and lay still. He offered no resistance 
when they hound his arms to his sides, and he 
made no effort to rise to his feet until a prod 
from a tomahawk informed him that this move 
was desired. 

Despite the fact that he was so tightly hound 
that he could move only his legs, two Hurons 
kept a tight hold on him as they forced him 
through the underbrush and into the clearing. 
Their experience with him had been such 
as to give them an exaggerated idea of his 
strength, and they would not have been at all 
surprised if he burst his bonds and renewed 
the fight. Consequently the party pressed 
closely about him and did not leave him to 
himself until he had been made fast to the 
sapling to which Hutter had so recently been 
tied. This accomplished, the warriors with¬ 
drew and in ominous silence resumed their 
places about the camp fire from which Riven- 
oak had not stirred since the shot had so ab¬ 
ruptly ended the council. 

The buckskin thongs, now fast about Leather¬ 
stocking’s legs as well as his arms, made move¬ 
ment of any kind next to impossible. Care¬ 
fully, so as not to attract the attention of his 
captors, he strained at his bonds, throwing all 
the force of his powerful muscles into the ef- 


201 


IN HURON HANDS 

fort. Not a fraction of an inch did they give. 
Instead, they seemed to fasten on him the 
tighter and his body was filled with sharp tin¬ 
gling pains as they bit vicionsly into his flesh, 
all but stopping the blood flow. Escape by this 
means, then, was not to be thought of. He 
was only wearing down his strength to no pur¬ 
pose, and he would need it sorely before many 
hours passed. 

Leather stocking resigned himself to the in¬ 
evitable and for the first time his mind dwelt 
upon the shot and its meaning. He had been 
explicit in his instructions to Hutter to see 
to it that not the slightest noise be made on 
the ark, especially after the cry of the loon had 
sounded. As a matter of fact, the cry itself 
had been needless. When he and Chingachgook 
set out on their dangerous mission, he had not 
foreseen the possibility that the captive Wah- 
ta-Wah would be so easily found or that her 
deliverance from the hands of the Hurons would 
be possible so soon. 

Although he would not admit it, he had sug¬ 
gested the signal as a means of letting Judith 
know of his safe arrival. He hoped she would 
want to know. Now he cursed the sentiment 
that had prompted his gross carelessness—a 
carelessness that no true woodsman could be 


202 LEATHERSTOCKING 

guilty of. He, Leatherstocking, whose prowess 
on the hunting trail had made him famous 
throughout the Delaware nation, had fallen vie- 
tim to his own infatuation for a woman! 

And what was this woman? Harry March 
had described her in questionable terms. For 
his own part, Leatherstocking had not been 
able to accept March’s words as strict truth, 
nor had he succeeded in freeing his mind from 
the impression they had originally made. At 
the risk of doubting the man he had considered 
his friend, he had finally compromised by taking 
Judith on faith. Once this decision had been 
arrived at, he had found it far more difficult 
to ignore her beauty and charm. This had been 
the beginning of the infatuation that had led 
him into the peril in which he now found him¬ 
self. 

Leatherstocking flushed angrily and tears 
came into his eyes as he realized his own im¬ 
potence. Tamenund trusted him and even then 
believed that his faithful Killer-of-the-deer was 
deep in the forest, warning the tribes against 
war with the whites. The trusted messenger 
had proved himself utterly unworthy. He had 
tarried at Glimmerglass, lured by a pretty face 
and a pair of taunting eyes until long past 
the hour when his mission might have been 



IN HURON HANDS 208 

crowned with success. The Hurons were al¬ 
ready on the warpath and he was their pris¬ 
oner, betrayed into their hands by a mysterious 
shot. 

Who fired the shot? This question loomed 
in his mind like a dark cloud that suddenly 
blots out the daylight. Who on the ark hated 
him so blackly as to bring him to the horrible 
death the Hurons would visit upon him? 

Neither Hutter nor March were novices with 
firearms. Therefore, he dismissed the theory 
of an accidental shot. It was also beyond the 
range of possibility to suppose that a sudden 
attack on the ark had been responsible, for in 
that event many shots would have been fired. 
This line of reasoning led directly back to his 
original assumption that the shot had been 
deliberate and intentional. Was March the 
guilty one? Leatherstocking fought against 
this belief, but, regardless of his loyalty to his 
friend, there still remained the fact that within 
the last few hours March had exhibited un¬ 
mistakable signs of hate towards him, obviously 
caused by jealousy at Judith’s interest in him. 

This thought hurt more than anything else 
in the whole sorry business. Hurry Harry 
March, his comrade on many a hunting trail, 
to have betrayed him into the hands of the 


204 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Hnrons—it was unbelievable, and yet no other 
explanation seemed possible. With a groan of 
despair, he closed his eyes as if to blot out 
the vision of the woman he held responsible 
for all this evil. 

Standing thus, his body held painfully up¬ 
right by the thongs which bound him, Leather¬ 
stocking dozed. The warriors had long since 
deserted the now dying camp fire, leaving only 
two of their number to watch him, and these 
two curled themselves up close to the glowing 
embers and slept. Far off in the woods the 
eerie hoot of an owl sounded and the prisoner 
stirred slightly, only to sink a moment later 
into deeper slumber—the slumber of a man 
utterly worn out from great physical exertion. 

How long he slept, Leatherstocking did not 
know, but when he awoke gray daylight had 
broken and the Hurons had already begun the 
work of a new day. With studied indifference 
they passed and repassed him as they went 
about their various activities. Apparently 
there was a purpose in this lack of interest 
in their prisoner, and he wondered what it 
meant. He was not to remain long in doubt, 
however. 

Suddenly three squaws approached him and 


IN HURON HANDS 205 

the warriors stood back, forming a path down 
which they passed. They walked slowly and 
with a peculiar rhythm that appeared to mark 
the time of a doleful wailing chant with which 
they accompanied their steps. Two of the 
women stopped a few feet from the sapling, 
but the third came on until she stood face to 
face with Leather stocking. She was a comely 
squaw of perhaps forty, hut the vehemence of 
her chant, now risen to a shriek, distorted her 
features and she raised her hands wildly to¬ 
wards the sky. 

“Skulking Yengee!” she cried, her fingers 
clawing at his face. ‘ 4 Coward—seeker of scalps 
of women and children—you have slain the 
Lynx! You have struck him down as the snake 
strikes down its victim! May the knives of 
the Hurons soon he bathed in the blood of the 
paleface jackal of the forest V 9 

Leatherstocking had more than a smattering 
of the Huron tongue, and although he did not 
catch every word the general meaning was 
plain to him. The woman was shrieking out 
her grief at the death of the Lynx and calling 
down the vengeance of the tribe on the head 
of his slayer. This was clear to him. It was 
also evident that she would be the first to strike 


206 LEATHERSTOCKING 

a retaliatory blow, for her frenzy was grow¬ 
ing and the long, powerful fingers were coming 
closer to his eyes with every wild gesture. 

“The Lynx is gone,” she screamed, her face 
demoniacal in its fury. “The Sumach is left 
to mourn alone! Woe to the Yengees!” 

Again the fingers clawed at his face, and this 
time his cheek was torn from ear to mouth by 
the sharp nails. The sight of blood drove the 
woman frantic and she leaped at the helpless 
Leatherstocking, the light of madness gleaming 
in her eyes. 

This madness seemed to be communicating 
itself to the circle of warriors who had gath¬ 
ered about to watch, for now they raised their 
voices in wild cries of encouragement as the 
Sumach prepared to renew her attack on Leath¬ 
erstocking. 

Suddenly a commanding voice rang out. 
The warriors’ cries ceased and their ranks 
broke as Rivenoak strode towards the prisoner, 
wielding his tomahawk with no gentle arm 
to impress the savages with his displeasure. 
He grasped the Sumach by one arm and hurled 
her to the ground. 

“Back to your lodge,” he cried. “This is 
no place for a woman.” 

Then he turned to his warriors and waved 



A PRISONER AT THE MERCY OF RIYENOAK. 
























r~.r ■ 





























































<s. 























* 

















































































207 


IN HURON HANDS 

them back as though they were children who 
had been discovered at some mischievous prank. 
Like reprimanded children they scattered. Riv- 
enoak faced Leatherstocking with a bland smile. 

“Paleface friend welcome/’ he said in his 
halting English. “Hurons mean no harm. 
Sumach, squaw of Lynx, sad for death of 
Lynx.” 

“So it appeared,” replied Leather stocking 
quietly. 

“Paleface kill Lynx, now prisoner of Hu¬ 
ron,” went on Rivenoak meaningly. 

“Paleface not afeered of Mingo,” snapped 
Leatherstocking, defiantly. “Lynx big coward. 
[Try to shoot me in back. I fired first.” 

Rivenoak pondered, then shook his head. 

“Hurons not believe,” he said. “Think you 
tell lie. Hurons say must have scalp.” 

“Looks like they wouldn’t have much trou¬ 
ble gettin’ it,” replied Leatherstocking, glanc¬ 
ing down at his bonds, “but mark ye, Mingo: 
the liftin’ of my scalp will be a bad day’s work 
for your murderin’ In jins. The French may 
pay ye high for it but sartain it is that the 
English will make ye pay far higher for the 
privilege of offerin’ it for sale.” 

Rivenoak glared angrily at the captive who 
dared threaten him even in the face of death. 


208 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Then the anger died and he looked at Leather¬ 
stocking with something in his eyes akin to un- 
willing admiration. 

“You Leatherstocking?” he asked. 

A nod of the head was his answer. 

“Leatherstocking kill Lynx, Briarthorn say 
so,” the chief went on. “Leatherstocking take 
spirit face and robe from Se-tah-ga, great Med¬ 
icine Man. Leatherstocking escape when whole 
Huron tribe pursue. Leather stocking defeat 
many Huron warriors. Leatherstocking cap¬ 
ture Rivenoak.” 

The captive smiled curiously at this enumer¬ 
ation of his exploits, none of which reflected 
much credit on his foes, and awaited the con¬ 
clusion. 

“Leatherstocking be brave warrior,” Riven- 
oak declared. 

This statement caused Leatherstocking to 
look up keenly alert, for flattery from Huron 
lips could be nothing more than a cloak for 
some hidden and more sinister meaning. 

“Rivenoak proud to be friend of Leather¬ 
stocking,” the wily Huron went on. “No can 
take scalp. Leatherstocking go free. Go back 
to big lodge in lake. Tell Muskrat Rivenoak 
be friend.” 

“Well, go on. What deviltry comes next?” 


IN HURON HANDS 209 

Mistaking the interruption for acquiescence 
in his plans, Rivenoak quickly came to the point 
he was making. 

“When Leather stocking make talk with 
Muskrat, Hurons come on rafts. Attack big 
lodge. Leatherstocking, Wild Flower and Pale 
Lily go free. Rivenoak take scalp of Muskrat 
and Tall Pine and Mohican chief.” 

The cruel eyes glittered and the painted face 
took on an expression of fiendish joy at the 
terrible picture his words conjured up before 
him. 

For a moment Leatherstocking was appalled 
at this monstrous suggestion, then his wrath 
blazed. 

“You red devil,” he cried in fury, “cut my 
bonds and I’ll tear your cowardly heart out o’ 
your carcass! Only Mingo jackals betray their 
friends! You can lift my scalp, you thievin’ 
murderer, but your day is cornin’ and cornin’ 
fast. ’Tis a short trail you’re treadin’ and 
at the end of it the King’s soldiers have a noose 
waitin’ for your neck!” 

Rivenoak had not looked for this. To offer 
a captive freedom on any terms and to be de¬ 
fied thus scathingly was a new experience to 
him. In his savage code, such bravery in the 
face of death set a man apart from his fellows 


210 LEATHERSTOCKING 

and, despite Ms wounded dignity, he could not 
but admire the courageous spirit of the wMte 
warrior who now strained at his bonds in an 
evident effort to carry the feud to the point 
of a physical encounter. He stepped back and 
folded his arms, reassuming the dignity he had 
dropped in his attempt to enlist Leatherstock¬ 
ing’s aid in his bloody plan. 

‘ 1 Leather stocking be brave warrior,” he said 
calmly. “Leatherstocking choose torture—not 
go free. Too had. Rivenoak take Wild Flower 
for squaw, take scalp of Muskrat and Tall Pine 
and Mohican. Pale Lily he left for Great 
Manitou. Leatherstocking he die by fire. Riv¬ 
enoak has spoken.” 

Then the Huron cHef did a strange thing— 
a thing that spoke more strongly of his admi¬ 
ration for his captive’s courage than words 
could have done. Raising his hand he sum¬ 
moned two warriors to Ms side. 

“Cut his bonds,” he commanded them in the 
tribal tongue. “Let him go where he will in 
the camp, but watch him closely that he make 
no attempt to escape.” 

The warriors did as they were bid, and 
Leatherstocking felt the buckskin thongs fall 
from about him. So long had he stood in the 
one position and so tightly had the bonds held 


IN HURON HANDS 


211 


him that his benumbed limbs refused to sup¬ 
port him. He attempted to take a step for¬ 
ward, but crumpled up as if a bullet had 
pierced him and pitched forward on the ground. 
For a moment he lay thus, every muscle in his 
body tingling with pain. Then he struggled 
to a sitting posture and braced his back against 
the sapling. 

Thus he sat for some time, again ignored 
by his captors save for a Huron girl who 
brought him food and water. Gradually his 
strength returned and he pulled himself to his 
feet. The rest and the return of normal blood 
circulation restored to him his old-time strength 
and soon no evidences of his painful experience 
remained, save the marks of the thongs on his 
wrists and arms. 

The sun was now well on its way up the east¬ 
ern sky and its warm glow stirred to action 
all the wild life of the forest. Half a dozen 
warriors set out on a hunting expedition to 
replenish the food stores of the camp. Those 
who remained engaged themselves in far 
more sinister activities. Scalping knives were 
scraped on smooth stones until the keenness 
of the blades satisfied their owners. Bows 
were restrung, arrow heads inspected and the 
few rifles the tribe boasted were given such 


212 LEATHERSTOCKING 

care as suggested itself to riflemen as yet gen¬ 
erally unskilled in the use of firearms. 

These were warlike preparations, and Leath¬ 
erstocking watched them with growing concern. 
His own fate had become a matter of indiffer¬ 
ence to him. He knew escape was practically 
an impossibility, for his two guards kept their 
eyes steadily upon him. The fire and the scalp¬ 
ing knife had already been decreed by Riven- 
oak, so there was nothing to look forward to 
so far as he was concerned but death. 

What would be the fate of his friend on the 
ark? This too had been foreordained. Riven- 
oak would stop at nothing now to gain his end. 
Three scalps and Judith were the prizes the 
cruel Huron was striving for—three scalps 
aside from his own. 

Leatherstocking groaned in spite of himself. 
If only his life might at least buy safety for 
Judith. Hetty, he knew, would not be harmed 
—but Judith, the squaw of the hated Rivenoak \ 
The brave heart quailed at the thought and an 
agony of fear that could not have been aroused 
by the terrible fate awaiting him brought a sob 
of despair. 


CHAPTEE XVI 


THE SHOT EEOM THE ARK 

Three tall pines standing like sentinels on 
the shore of Glimmerglass looked down with 
stately tolerance on the petty flurries that agi¬ 
tated the men and women, both red-skinned 
and white, who were striving and planning, 
each for the overthrow of the other. Half a 
mile out on the shimmering waters the ark 
rested in the silence of early morning, its in¬ 
habitants but awaiting the next move of the 
enemy. A quarter mile inland the Huron camp 
was a veritable hive of activity, the warriors 
preparing themselves for the renewal of hos¬ 
tilities that hung on a word from their chief. 
A gentle breeze swayed the branches of the 
woodland sentinels on this boundary line be¬ 
tween land and water, and they sighed softly 
as though in sorrow at the futility of it all. 

But even in the moments when tragedy 
presses closest, men and women will love. The 
eternal call that always brings a response 
sounds as clear above the din of battle as it 
does when peace holds sway and on this sunny 

213 


I 


214 LEATHERSTOCKING 

morning in early September, literally between 
the battle lines of white and red, a man and 
a maid forgot the world in their pledges of 
undying devotion. Behind them towered the 
pine trees and a screen of thick underbrush 
concealed them from prying eyes. Before them 
lay Glimmerglass in an ominous quiet that pre¬ 
cedes the storm. 

Black Eagle, son of Rivenoak, but not yet a 
full-fledged warrior, was weary of the constant 
bloodshed and, much to his father’s disgust, 
found greater joy in the eyes of Dove Wing 
than in the promise of unnumbered scalps. 
Dove Wing, for her part, had no thought save 
for Black Eagle and so the understanding was 
complete. While the warriors were busying 
themselves with the tools of their profession, 
the Huron maid and the son of the Huron chief 
had stolen away to this forest retreat to claim 
a few moments of happiness. 

In silence they sat, hand in hand, gazing out 
across the lake towards the ark. The soft 
brown eyes of Dove Wing sought for a moment 
those of Black Eagle and her glance of love 
was returned by the young chieftain. Words 
would have been futile. They could have con¬ 
veyed no deeper meaning. 

“Look!” cried Dove Wing suddenly, and she 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 215 

pointed to a canoe that was now being paddled 
from the ark towards the overhanging willows 
at their feet. 

The eyes of Black Eagle grew keen as he 
looked in the direction the girl was pointing, 
and then they hardened as he saw that the 
canoe contained Judith and Hetty—the Wild 
Flower and the Pale Lily. Instinctively he 
grasped his bow, for in his heart, deeply 
planted, was the Huron’s hatred for the Yen- 
gees. 

The canoe was approaching rapidly, the girls 
swinging their paddles with the skill born of 
long practice and Black Eagle fitted the notch 
of an arrow shaft to the string of his bow. 
Kneeling, he took careful aim at Judith, but 
a small hand rested on his. 

“Do not kill the white woman,” she said 
with an appeal in her eyes which he could not 
resist. “She loves the captive even as Dove 
Wing loves Black Eagle and but comes to bid 
him farewell. She can do no harm.”’ 

Black Eagle lowered his bow. 

“It is well,” he said, clasping the girl’s soft 
hands. “She can do no harm. Soon enough 
her heart will cry out in grief. The Yengee 
captive goes to his death to-day. My father, 
Rivenoak, has spoken.” 


216 LEATHERSTOCKING 
A look of pain came into Dove Wing’s face 
and she turned away. 

“Such hatred and bloodshed cannot he pleas¬ 
ing to the Great Manitou,” she said sadly. 
“His people should live at peace with the 
Yengees.” 

“The Yengees are treacherous and the truth 
is not in them,” declared Black Eagle. “They 
would sell our scalps for gold. They steal our 
hunting grounds.” 

“Do Huron warriors not sell enemy scalps 
to the Great White Chief of the French!” she 
asked. 

“Thoughts of war are not for Dove Wing,” 
he parried, smiling into her questioning 
eyes. 

And it was truth that he spoke. His mo¬ 
ments of liberty from the duties of a young 
warrior were too few to be spent in idle dis¬ 
cussion of the rights and wrongs of his tribe’s 
feud with the white settlers of Glimmerglass. 
In a moment both the Indian youth and the 
maid had put from their minds all save their 
love, and the approaching canoe was forgotten. 

Paddling close inshore where the willows 
screened the bank, Judith caught a low-hanging 
branch and held the canoe steady while Hetty 
climbed out. 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 217 


“Here under these leaves you will be safe, 
sister,’’ she said. “Keep well hidden. Soon 
I will return with Leatherstocking, for I know 
the Hurons will hear God’s word.” 

“Oh, Hetty, Hetty—I’ll be praying that you 
succeed,” whispered Judith, her eyes filled 
with tears and her face drawn with anguish. 
“You’re so brave!” 

“Not brave, dear,” replied Hetty, simply y 
“just content to trust in God and give myself 
into His hands. He never fails those who be¬ 
lieve.” 

Bending forward, she grasped Judith’s hand 
and raised it to her lips. In another moment 
she was creeping through the bushes towards 
the Huron camp. All unaware of this little 
drama, an Indian youth and maid pledged their 
love scarce a stone’s throw away, and the men¬ 
ace that brooded over them drew closer. 

Huron cunning and Huron treachery as ex¬ 
emplified in all of Rivenoak’s actions thus far 
gave Leatherstocking no sense of freedom, al¬ 
though his bonds had been removed. The sav¬ 
ages apparently paid no attention to him, even 
the two who had been told off as guards, but de¬ 
spite this he had the feeling that they were 
but biding their time, waiting for him to make 
a break for liberty as an excuse for hastening 


218 LEATHERSTOCKING 

the torture that Rivenoak had unaccountably 
postponed. 

The inaction, though, was worse than the pos¬ 
sibility of an attack, so Leatherstocking re¬ 
solved to see just how far he might depend 
upon his luck. With the utmost unconcern he 
rose to his feet and stretched lazily. Not an 
eye was turned upon him. He ventured a few 
steps forward, then turned and walked towards 
the camp fire. In so doing, he passed one of 
his guards. The Indian glanced at him casu¬ 
ally and then resumed the work of fixing a 
new string to his bow. 

This was encouraging. The Hurons were 
evidently so sure of their captive that they 
ignored the possibility of an attempted escape, 
which even at that moment was flashing 
through his mind. But a sudden break for 
liberty would be foolhardy. Before he had 
reached the first line of trees across the clear¬ 
ing, a Huron arrow or tomahawk or bullet 
would have found its mark. No, the thing was 
not to be undertaken on impulse. It must be 
more carefully planned. 

Leatherstocking sat down on the rotting 
stump of a tree and looked about him. An 
expression of bewilderment crossed his face 
and he stood up in utter amazement as he 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 219 


saw Hetty Hutter emerge from the forest. 
For a moment she stood still, then spying him, 
she ran forward, paying no attention whatever 
to the savages who leaped to their feet and 
drew back from her as she passed. 

Straight np to the astonished Leatherstock¬ 
ing she ran and caught his big right hand in 
her two small ones. 

“Oh, Leather stocking,” she exclaimed, a 
pleased smile on her delicate lips, “I knew you 
would be safe! Judith feared so that you 
wouldn’t, but I was sure I would be in time.” 

“Why, Hetty,” he gasped, “what brings you 
here among these red devils agin?” 

“Fve come to take you back to the ark,” 
she replied. “Judith thought perhaps the Hu- 
rons would accept more ivory images in ex¬ 
change for you, but I felt that Rivenoak could 
be made to see that holding you would dis¬ 
please God, so I’ve come to talk to him. Judith 
is waiting in the canoe by the willows.” 

“What say ye, girl?” he exclaimed, ex¬ 
citedly. “Judith came with ye?” 

“Yes, she is waiting for us now by the wil¬ 
lows.” 

“Judith is in grave danger,” he went on, 
grasping her wrist. “If she’s taken by the 
Mingos now, death would be a blessing.” 


220 LEATHERSTOCKING 


Hetty stared at him as though she did not 
understand. Leatherstocking looked quickly 
about. The Hurons had resumed their tasks 
and for the moment their attention seemed 
centered elsewhere. Without a word, he swung 
Hetty to his shoulder and leaped across the 
clearing and into the forest. Unmindful of his 
burden and trusting entirely to luck to guide 
his flying feet away from rocks and tangled 
vines, he sped down the hill. Behind came the 
cries of the Hurons, now in hot pursuit. 

The very daring of this sudden break for 
liberty proved to be its salvation. Taken to¬ 
tally unawares, the Indians had tarried in con¬ 
fusion just long enough to give Leatherstock¬ 
ing a slight lead. The thick forest, although 
it cut down his speed, served as a protection 
against arrows and bullets, for even the most 
skilled marksman could not have taken telling 
aim at a target that dodged from tree to tree 
as the fugitive did. 

On and on he ran, and Hetty clung to him, 
supported by his powerful arms. At last the 
lake was just ahead. A few steps more and 
Leatherstocking saw the willows and Judith 
bravely holding the canoe against the shore. 
He saw more. Not fifty yards distant was the 
ark, with Tom Hutter and Chingachgook pull- 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 221 

ing frantically on the sweeps. On the bow 
knelt Hurry Harry March, his rifle raised and 
ready to fire at the first sign of a Huron. 

One last leap, and the exhausted Leather- 
stocking reached the canoe, but his margin of 
safety was pathetically small. From behind 
him the savages crashed through the under¬ 
brush. He dropped his burden into the canoe 
and with all his waning strength pushed the 
craft out into the open water towards the ap¬ 
proaching ark. As he did so, the Hurons hurled 
themselves at him, forcing him to the ground 
exhausted and again a prisoner. 

From his retreat among the pines, Black 
Eagle looked down at this brief struggle, then 
bidding Hove Wing await him, he slid down 
the steep incline to the beach where he joined 
his tribesmen. Dove Wing ran to the edge of 
the clearing, where she could get an unob¬ 
structed view of the warriors below, and Harry 
March on the deck of the ark took careful aim. 
His finger pressed the trigger and a puff of 
smoke belched from the barrel as the sharp 
crack of the rifle rang out. 

Dove Wing clutched at her breast and a look 
of wonder came into her eyes. She took an 
uncertain step forward and then sank to the 
ground with a pitiful moan. 


222 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


From the beach Black Eagle had witnessed 
March’s inhuman act. He had seen the rifle 
seek out a target far to the right of the group 
of warriors that surrounded Leatherstocking 
and instinctively he had known that his beloved 
Dove Wing was to be the innocent victim of 
this Yengee devil’s hate. Dumb with horror, 
he had heard the shot and seen the girl crum¬ 
ple up on the ground. For a second he stood 
still while the enraged Hurons shrieked for 
vengeance, and then he fled to the side of the 
dying Dove Wing. 

Her eyes were open and her face was peace¬ 
ful, but from her breast her life was ebbing 
fast. In silent grief Black Eagle knelt and 
gently took her in his arms. 

“Black Eagle will be chief some day,” she 
murmured, looking up at him. “It would 
please the Great Manitou if he made peace 
with the Yengees. Night is coming now, but 
Dove Wing fears not the darkness, my be¬ 
loved—peace with the Yengees—peace—” 

The eyelids fluttered and closed—the head 
dropped limply on Black Eagle’s shoulder—* 
and the gentle heart of an Indian maid was 
stilled forever. 

In stoical silence the Huron warriors watched 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 223 


the hand of tragedy close about her. They 
drew back as Black Eagle bowed his head in 
unspoken grief over the pitiful little body that 
he still clasped to his breast. This was Yengee 
treachery of the blackest—the handiwork of 
those whose lying tongues spoke the words of 
their God and whose weapons were turned 
against children. 

Black Eagle reverently lowered the body to 
the ground, and then raising his clenched hands 
to Heaven, he called down the vengeance of his 
people upon the murderers of his beloved. 
There on his knees in the presence of death, 
he swore by all he held sacred that a swift 
and awful retribution should be visited upon 
the perpetrators of this outrage. 

In the personal charge of Rivenoak, the cap¬ 
tive Leatherstocking had been led to the pine 
and he witnessed the death of Dove Wing, sick 
at heart at the needless sacrifice. As Black 
Eagle rose from the ground, Rivenoak turned 
to his prisoner. 

“Muskrat no friend of Leatherstocking,” he 
said, his eyes gleaming cruelly. “Muskrat kill 
little maiden when Leather stocking captive of 
Huron .’ 9 

Rivenoak’s meaning was clear. The ven- 


224 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


geance of the tribe was to be visited upon the 
prisoner. Leatherstocking returned the glance, 
bis own eyes filled with tears. 

44 Mingo ,’ 9 be said earnestly, bis voice shak¬ 
ing with emotion, “I am the foe of your 
people, but if I ever git free I’ll avenge that 
killin’ as sartain as the sun rises to-morrow. 
’Twasn’t the Muskrat that done it. I saw the 
shot fired and so did you. ’Twas Tall Pine 
that killed her, and Tall Pine must answer 
for it.” 

Rivenoak stared in surprise at this unex¬ 
pected reply. Keenly be appraised the young 
man. 

“Leatherstocking be brave warrior,” be mut¬ 
tered as if voicing a thought be would rather 
have kept to himself. 

Now came the squaws, summoned by a mes¬ 
senger who bad been sent back to the camp 
for the purpose. Their wailing and moaning 
filled the air as they lifted the body of the In¬ 
dian girl and carried it slowly from the piney 
retreat that never again would shelter Black 
Eagle and his loved one. Behind them, alone, 
walked the young chieftain, his head high and 
his step firm but the chilling hand of grief 
clutching his heart. Rivenoak and his prisoner 
followed at some distance and then came the 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 225 

warriors, voicing a weird chant of requiem. 

The fury of the Hurons at this ruthless slay¬ 
ing of a woman now turned itself upon Leath¬ 
erstocking. Briarthorn, hoping to take advan¬ 
tage of the tragedy, was loud in his denuncia¬ 
tion of the prisoner. 

‘‘See now what Yengee treachery can do,” 
he exclaimed to Rivenoak. “Leatherstocking, 
the white Delaware, would kill all our women 
if he were free. He hates the Hurons. He 
must die in payment for the death of Dove 
Wing. Let the torture bring from him cries 
for mercy! Let the fire scorch his body! Tear 
his heart from his breast and throw it to the 
beasts of the forest! His scalp must hang at 
a Huron belt before the sun sets!” 

Tied firmly to the sapling, Leatherstocking 
was instantly the center of a score of infuri¬ 
ated savages. Their tomahawks and scalping 
knives were waved wildly in the air as they 
began to circle about him in the dance of death. 
He closed his eyes, for he felt the end was at 
hand. 

“Death to the Yengee!” shrieked the Hu¬ 
rons. “Death to the slayer of women!” 

Briarthorn, having worked himself into a 
frenzy through his own impassioned exhorta¬ 
tion, leaped at Leatherstocking, a tomahawk 


226 LEATHERSTOCKING 

poised in his hand. He let it fly with a terrific 
shriek, and it split the sapling above the pris- 
oner’s head. 

The Hnrons yelled their approval in tones 
that echoed and reechoed through the forest. 
Wilder and wilder the dance became, and 
knives were brandished terribly close to the 
face of Leatherstocking. Knowing the sav¬ 
age’s admiration for bravery, he forced a smile 
to his lips. Unflinchingly he faced the weapons 
whirled about his head. 

4 ‘Dance, ye red devils!” he cried in defiance. 
u ’Tis few more chances ye’ll have!” 

His words seemed to cheer him. Time and 
again his voice rose above the cries of the fran¬ 
tic savages, and every leer from an Indian face 
hut strengthened the devil-may-care expression 
on his own. His eyes flashed as fiercely as 
though his hands were free to rend and tear 
his foes, and the set of his jaw told more plainly 
than words of his determination to go to his 
death unflinchingly. 

For a few moments Rivenoak looked on in 
moody silence at the vain efforts of his war¬ 
riors to strike fear to the heart of the captive. 
Then he ordered them to stop. He strode up 
to Leatherstocking and stood glaring at him. 

“Yengee no afraid of Huron warrior,” he 


THE SHOT FROM THE ARK 227 


grated. “Yengee be too brave for fear toma¬ 
hawk. See how Yengee watch Hurons capture 
Wild Flower. Maybe he feel fear when Wild 
Flower be prisoner too.” 

Leather stocking’s heart grew cold within 
him as he realized the significance of Riven- 
oak’s words. Before he could speak, he was 
freed from the sapling, and the Hurons were 
dragging him through the forest towards the 
lake shore. 


CHAPTER XVn 


TORTURE 

Once clear of the shore, Judith swung her 
paddle frantically in an effort to put her sister 
out of reach of Huron hands. Leather stock¬ 
ing’s fate seemed sealed. The savages literally 
crushed him to the ground and Judith was 
thankful that her position prevented her from 
seeing the end. Grimly she looked straight 
ahead toward the ark, which was now rapidly 
nearing shore. Hetty lay as Leatherstocking 
had dropped her, apparently in a swoon. This 
would assure her safety from an arrow or a 
bullet, and Judith made no effort to rouse her. 
The fact that her own body provided an ex¬ 
cellent mark meant nothing to her. 

The ark came to a stop and a few paddle 
strokes brought the canoe alongside. Judith 
stepped aboard and made the canoe fast, then 
bending over, called Hetty to follow her. The 
younger girl lifted her head and stared about 
in fright. 

“Have no fear, Hetty,” said Judith. “We 
are safe—but hurry!” 


TORTURE 


229 


“Where is Leatherstocking?” asked Hetty. 

A sob was the only answer. Judith could 
not bear to tell her sister that such grave dan¬ 
ger had been faced in vain. 

“Stand aside, Jude!” came a gruff command, 
and Judith turned to see Hurry Harry March 
on one knee in front of the cabin, his rifle 
aimed towards shore. 

Judith crouched low and the rifle cracked 
above her head. For a second her eyes rested 
on the figure of an Indian girl on top of a 
wooded knoll to the right of the group of sav¬ 
ages. Then the figure crumpled up and van¬ 
ished behind a clump of bushes. 

“Harry!” screamed Judith, in horror. 
“You’ve killed a woman!” 

Before March could reply, Wah-ta-Wah 
sprang at him from the cabin. In fury, her 
hands clawed at his face and tore the rifle 
from his grasp as he cringed before the unex¬ 
pected attack. 

“Coward!” she shrieked. “Yengee dog! 
Slayer of women!” 

These words, in the Delaware tongue, brought 
instant response from Chingachgook. He was 
at the stern with Hutter, pulling on the sweeps, 
and the cabin obstructed his vision forward, 
but the cries of Wah-ta-Wah told the story. 


230 leatherstocking 

To the forward deck he rushed in time to see 
March raise his fist as if to heat off the Indian 
girl. The Mohican brushed her lightly aside 
and stood menacingly before the towering fig¬ 
ure of her would-be assailant. 

“Tall Pine strike man, not woman!” he 
challenged. 

March drew; back. His teeth were bared in 
a snarl. 

“Tall Pine kill Huron girl,” cried Wah-ta- 
Wah. 

Chingachgook flashed a quick glance ashore 
and saw the warriors running to the knoll, 
dragging the captive Leatherstocking with 
them. 

“Why Tall Pine kill woman—plenty war¬ 
riors to shoot,” demanded the Mohican, mov¬ 
ing nearer. 

March looked about him uneasily. 

“ ’Twas an accident,” he declared. 

“Aye, an accident that’s like to cost your 
friend his life,” came angrily from Hutter, 
who, attracted by the angry voices, had left 
the stern. 

The Mohican’s eyes flashed and all the 
pent-up hate occasioned by the betraying shot 
of the night before blazed forth. With a cry 
like that of an infuriated animal he hurled 


TORTURE 


231 


himself upon the giant and for a second the 
two stood locked in a crushing embrace. De¬ 
spite March’s great strength, he was gradu¬ 
ally forced to his knees by the invincible In¬ 
dian and with bulging eyes he saw a deadly 
scalping knife poised above his head. 

So sudden had been the attack that none of 
those who witnessed it had had time to inter¬ 
fere. The flash of the Mohican’s blade brought 
a gasp of horror from Judith and she covered 
her eyes with her hands, but Hutter shouted 
a warning. 

“Stop!” he ordered. “Stop or I’ll shoot!” 

The muzzle of his rifle moved menacingly 
from side to side, covering the two combatants 
and Chingachgook’s weapon was stayed. 

“Onhand.him!” Hutter commanded. 

With a look of utter amazement, the Indian 
did as he was bid and March rose shakily to 
his feet. 

“We’ve had bloodshed enough,” Hutter 
roared. i ‘ Must ye resk our lives still further ? ’ ’ 

He looked from one to the other, and they 
read deep determination in his eyes. 

“I’ve two gals to protect,” he went on, “and 
protect ’em I will if I have to kill both of you 
to do it. 

“Get ye to the sweeps, Harry March. 


232 LE ATHERSTOCKIN G 

There's evil aplenty to mark up agin yon. Yon, 
Mohican, harken to me. Yon're an honorable 
man and I’ll make a compact with yon. Do 
yon give me yonr word to have done Hvith 
March nntil we’re safe from them red devils 
ashore!” 

The Mohican nodded, bnt the look of hate 
he cast at the retreating figure of his enemy 
evidenced*his intention not to let this enforced 
truce exist a moment longer than was neces¬ 
sary. 

44 Muskrat speak truth,” he said. “Hurons 
have great anger at slaying of woman. Wild 
Flower and Pale Lily must be safe. Chingach- 
gook no kill Tall Pine—now!” 

And he held out his hand to Hutter in imi¬ 
tation of the white man’s pledge of good faith. 

“ ’Tis well,” said Hutter, grasping the In¬ 
dian’s hand. “Tall Pine, as you’ve named him, 
has much to answer for and I’ll warrant the 
reckoning is more than he can pay. But, what 
think ye, Mohican! Is it safe to stay here on 
the ark!” 

Chingachgook studied the shore from which 
the Hurons had suddenly vanished. 

“No be safe to go to big lodge on water,” 
he declared emphatically. 

“And why not!” 


TORTURE 


233 


The Indian paused a moment before answer¬ 
ing, and then, seeing that Judith and Hetty 
had entered the cabin, he said in a low tone: 

“Hurons go to big lodge. Know Muskrat 
come there. Wait for h im .” 

“ ’Tis little choice we have left,” replied 
Hutter. “Here on the lake we’re helpless. 
There we’ve means of defense. I’m of opinion 
we’d best return to the Castle and face what¬ 
ever awaits us.” 

Chingachgook bowed his head in submission. 
He had pledged the Muskrat his help, and this 
help included obedience to orders, but deep 
down in his heart he had the gravest misgivings 
as to the wisdom of the course. The Castle had 
been deserted since the night before and, con¬ 
sequently, the Hurons had had ample time to 
take possession of it, which they could easily 
do by means of their rafts. This, he believed, 
had already been done, and he was firmly con¬ 
vinced that even at that moment Rivenoak’s 
warriors were hidden in the “big lodge” wait¬ 
ing to trap the entire party which they knew 
must eventually return. But it must be as the 
Muskrat wished; he was the chief. Chingach¬ 
gook silently seated himself on deck, his rifle 
across his knees, and looked stoically across 
the waters. Shyly, Wah-ta-Wah drew close to 


234 LEATHERSTOCKING 

him and together they sat in silence while the 
ark, propelled by Hutter and March, made its 
way slowly up the lake towards the Castle. . 

In the cabin Judith sat in mute despair. 
With the recapture of Leatherstocking, her last 
hope had vanished. The whole thing seemed 
a horrible nightmare from which she could not 
awaken, and she found herself praying for de¬ 
liverance, even though death at the hands of 
the savages were the means. To fight further 
was hut to prolong the agony—to hold at arm’s 
length for a brief time the inevitable fate that 
already had placed its mark upon them. 

“Judith, dear, listen,” said Hetty, suddenly 
looking up from the Bible that lay open in her 
lap. “ ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley 
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.’ 

“Those words have a solemn and beautiful 
meaning for us. We are passing through that 
valley now, but we are afraid. We are lacking 
in faith.” 

“Ah, Hetty, Hetty, we cannot all have the 
faith that you have,” sighed Judith, drawing 
her sister closer to her. “We are a mere hand¬ 
ful and the Indians are a horde. Leatherstock¬ 
ing is a prisoner. His life is worth nothing 
now. It is more than can he expected of 
humans—to maintain a faith that circum- 


TORTURE 235 

stances have already destroyed. When those 
we love—” 

“Then yon do love him? Leather stocking, 

I mean,” exclaimed Hetty. 

“I love only yon and father more,” came 
the low answer, “and to think that off there 
in the forest he may even now be undergoing 
the most terrible tortures— Oh, Hetty, I can’t 
bear it!” 

Judith buried her face in her sister’s lap 
and gave way to her grief in the tears that she 
had tried so long to withhold. 

The girl’s worst fears as to Leatherstock- 
ing’s fate seemed about to he realized. No 
longer was he treated with the savage courtesy 
that Rivenoak had commanded as due a brave 
warrior prisoner. In fact, such little protec¬ 
tion as the chief had offered had now been 
withdrawn, and the savages were being per¬ 
mitted to work their will. All had changed 
since Harry March’s bullet had so cruelly 
taken the life of Dove Wing. All the fury of 
the tribe was being vented on the captive, in¬ 
nocent though he was. 

In silence Leatherstocking did his best to 
keep his footing as he was rushed along 
through the forest. His arms were bound 
securely to his sides and long ropes of braided 


236 LEATHERSTOCKING 

buckskin tied about bis shoulders were used 
as leashes to hasten his progress. Twice he 
stumbled and fell and each time, before he 
could regain his feet, he was savagely kicked 
and beaten and prodded with scalping knives 
until he again was able to resume the journey. 
His great self-control alone averted the strik¬ 
ing of the death blow then and there. Had he 
but for a moment cried out in anger or in pain, 
the Hurons would have despatched him with as 
little compunction as they would have crushed 
the head of a snake. Knowing this, he main¬ 
tained a superb mastery of himself, and, still 
alive, although bruised and bleeding, he was 
at length dragged through the last thicket and 
stood on the shore of Glimmerglass. 

For a moment, dazed as he was, he looked 
about him with an air of unfamiliarity. Then, 
as his mind grew clearer, he saw that his cap- 
tors had brought him to the headland that 
pointed out into the lake directly opposite 
Muskrat Castle and scarcely a quarter of a 
mile distant from that deserted structure. But 
his journey had not yet ended. The Hurons 
forced him on again, out onto the narrow strip 
to the very point where the “big lodge in the 
water’’ loomed up dead ahead, close enough 


TORTURE 237 

to permit him to make out every detail of its 
odd construction. 

This last stage of the mysterious journey 
had been made in double-quick time and Leath¬ 
erstocking was panting from his exertions. As 
he looked at the Castle, he wondered what dev¬ 
iltry was about to he perpetrated by the Hu- 
rons, hut a rough hand on his shoulder whirled 
him around and he looked into Rivenoak’s cruel 
face. 

“Yengee dog still brave,” sneered the chief. 
“No fear for self. Maybe fear for Wild 
Flower. ’’ 

Without giving the prisoner time to answer, 
he turned away and Leatherstocking was 
forced back against a tree to which he was 
bound so firmly that he could move only his 
head. The warriors stood back, and a lone 
figure stepped in front of him. It was Black 
Eagle. 

“Yengee kill Dove Wing when Black Eagle 
look on,” he snarled. “Now Yengee look on 
while Hurons kill white woman.” 

So this was the meaning of the hurried jour¬ 
ney to the shore! 

Leatherstocking writhed in agony as he at 
last understood the form his torture was to 


238 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


take. He was to look on, helpless, while the 
Hurons revenged themselves upon Judith! 

Suddenly a low cry of warning sounded, and 
the Indians vanished silently in the under¬ 
brush, leaving Leatherstocking bound to the 
tree facing the Castle. He turned his head 
and saw the ark making its way up the lake 
towards the headland. The curtain was about 
to rise on the last act of the tragedy. 

On board the ark the situation was un¬ 
changed save that Chingachgook from his place 
in the bow was redoubling his vigilance as the 
Castle was neared. He scanned the shore and 
then the water ahead. Not a sign of danger 
was visible and yet he felt its proximity. He 
looked about him uneasily and his eyes rested 
on the water now bright with the direct rays 
of the midday sun. He started and an excla¬ 
mation of alarm escaped him. Lying flat on 
his stomach, he reached over the side and 
pulled from the water—a moccasin! 

The Mohican hastened to the stern, where 
Hutter and March were pulling steadily at the 
sweeps. March, in whose memory the threat¬ 
ening knife blade was still fresh, shrank back, 
but Chingachgook, completely ignoring him, 
held up his find before the curious eyes of 
Hutter. 



HE SWUNG HER AROUND UNTIL SHE FACED HIM. 

























































TORTURE 239 

“Huron moccasin,” he cried. “Float in 
water!” 

Hutter did not comprehend. 

“Well,” he said, “what’s that to do with 
us?” 

“Mean Huron on raft go to Castle,” replied 
Chingachgook. ‘ ‘ Lose moccasin in lake.’ 9 

March laughed derisively. 

“That moccasin drifted there from shore,” 
he declared. 

The Mohican paid no heed. 

“Go back—quick,” he exclaimed, appealing 
J > Hutter; “not safe in big lodge. Hurons 

here sure.” 

66 Can’t go back now , 99 replied Hutter. “We 
ain’t sartain the Injins have done as you say. 
Anyway, we’ll go ahead and see. Pull away, 
March.” 

Chingachgook tossed the moccasin to the 
deck and without another word returned to the 

ow, where he crouched with his rifle ready. 
The ark resumed its journey. 

Leatherstocking strained in vain at his 
bonds. The ark was now so near the headland 
that he had seen Chingachgook lift something 
from the water and confer hurriedly with Hut¬ 
ter and March. His eyes turned to the Castle 
and for a second he saw; a Huron scalp lock 


240 LEATHERSTOCKING 

appear in the window and then vanish. He 
groaned aloud. The muzzle of a rifle pressed 
against his side and he looked down to see 
Briarthorn crouching in the bush beside him, 
fingering the trigger menacingly. 

‘ < Killer-of-the-Deer not cry out warning,” 
cautioned his one-time Delaware brother. 

The captive’s head drooped in despair. He 
was powerless to save his friends from the trap 
the Hurons had prepared. Muskrat Castle was 
full of savages, of that he had now no doubt. 
Totally unaware of this, Hutter was bringing 
the ark closer and closer each second. Judith 
was on board. Leatherstocking could see her 
and Hetty emerge from the cabin and stand 
beside Chingachgook and Wah-ta-Wah in the 
bow. 

Scarce forty feet now separated the ark from 
the landing stage. Hutter and March were 
cautiously maneuvering the craft so as to effect 
a good landing. The space narrowed. Thirty 
feet between Judith and a fate far worse than 
death. No physical torture conceivable in a 
Huron mind could bring such suffering as this 
fiendishly planned vengeance of the slain Dove 
Wing’s people. 

The savages in the bush pressed forward, 



TORTURE 241 

their fierce eyes turned on the ark. There 
was an air of expectancy about that communi¬ 
cated itself to Leatherstocking, although they 
were outside the limited range of his vision. 
Briarthom, however, kept his attention cen¬ 
tered on the prisoner. 

Again the rifle pressed viciously against 
Leatherstocking’s side. Mechanically he looked 
down and Briarthorn’s cruel eyes, now gleam¬ 
ing with the lust for blood, flashed the warn¬ 
ing his lips did not speak. 

The ark touched the landing stage and 
Chingachgook tossed the rope over an iron 
hook. In the window of the Castle, Leather¬ 
stocking could see three Huron scalp locks 
thrown into relief against the dark interior 
by the rays of the sun. 

Hutter left the sweep and leaped lightly to 
the staging, followed by Harry March. For a 
second they stood still, looking cautiously about 
them, then they stole up to the door. Once 
more they stopped and March drew his hunt¬ 
ing knife. The warriors in the bushes crouched 
in tense silence. 

With a sudden move, Hutter threw open the 
door and swung his rifle to a position of readi¬ 
ness, but no sound came from inside. Appar- 


242 LEATHERSTOCKING 

ently satisfied that all was well, he stepped 
across the threshold and disappeared, March 
pressing closely behind him. 

Suddenly a wild shriek arose from the Cas¬ 
tle and two rifle shots resounded. 

This was the signal Rivenoak had been 
awaiting. Leaping out into the open, he raised 
his voice in a frightful war cry as his savages 
broke from cover. 

“Look, Yengee,” he roared, grasping Leath¬ 
erstocking by the hair and turning his ashen 
face towards the Castle staging which was now: 
a scene of pitched battle between two white 
men and a dozen savages. 

“Look—see how Muskrat die!” 


CHAPTER XYHI 


THE ATTACK 

No sooner had the ark touched the landing 
stage than Hntter regretted his stubbornness 
in proceeding to the Castle against Chingach- 
gook’s advice. 

“Somethin's wrong, I’m afeered,” he mut¬ 
tered, looking uneasily about him. 

March made no reply, although the remark 
was obviously addressed to him. The Mohican, 
who was holding the loose end of the mooring 
rope which he had merely looped through the 
iron ring in the piling, looked up sharply at 
them. 

<‘Be ready for fight,” he cautioned in low 
tones. 

Hutter nodded and leaped upon the staging. 
March followed him and the two stood a mo¬ 
ment in silence, their eyes fixed on the closed 
door of the Castle as if they hoped some mira¬ 
cle would give them the power to peer through 
it. 

6 ‘Come on,” whispered Hutter, and he tip- 

243 


244 LEATHERSTOCKING 

toed towards the door, his rifle held in front 
of him and his finger on the trigger. 

March kept close behind him. Together they 
approached the door, and again they paused. 

4 ‘Stand ready now,” commanded Hutter. 
“I’m goin’ to open it.” 

The other drew his long hunting knife, a 
more effective weapon at close range than a 
rifle. 

“Ready,” he said tensely. 

Hutter threw the door wide, at the same in¬ 
stant leveling his rifle into the room. There 
was no one in sight, everything was apparently 
as they had left it the night before. 

Reassured, they stepped boldly inside. Hut¬ 
ter looked back towards the ark and saw 
Chingachgook with rifle aimed at the door. Be¬ 
side him stood Judith, a pistol clasped firmly 
in her hand. Hutter turned back to his task. 

Suddenly from one of the bedrooms three 
warriors sprang out, the foremost uttering a 
piercing shriek of triumph. Hardly waiting to 
take aim, Hutter fired at point-blank range, 
and the leader crashed to the floor, his head 
split by the ball. Now the room seemed liter¬ 
ally alive with hideously painted Hurons yell¬ 
ing like fiends and charging the two white men 


THE ATTACK 245 

who were vainly attempting to retreat towards 
the door. 

Hntter, somewhat in advance of his compan¬ 
ion, found himself surrounded by savages, and 
desperately he swung his rifle butt to break 
his way through them. One grasped the whirl¬ 
ing rifle, but Hutter’s foot doubled him up and 
he released his hold. A Huron leaped forward 
with tomahawk upraised and with terrific force 
Tom’s rifle descended, crushing the skull of his 
foe like an egg shell. 

Nearer the door, March was desperately re¬ 
turning blow for blow. Three warriors were 
engaging him and they pressed so close that 
he could not fire the long-barreled weapon 
which was so deadly in his hands. Realizing 
its uselessness, he hurled it from him and again 
drew his hunting knife. A savage leaped at 
him and the knife ripped a deep gash in his 
stomach. The other two attacked together and 
only March’s prodigiods strength saved him. 
His left hand fixed itself in a crushing grip 
on the throat of one while his knife plunged 
hilt deep into the breast of the other. Taking 
advantage of this circumstance, he leaped 
through the door and out onto the staging. 

Meanwhile Hutter was fighting a losing fight. 


246 LEATHERSTOCKING 

His rifle was torn from his grasp and a blow 
from a war club dropped him stunned to the 
floor. While two warriors bound him, the 
others leaped after the retreating March. 

Harry’s attempt to regain the ark was 
doomed to failure. Behind him came half a 
dozen Hurons and they bore down on him just 
as he reached the edge of the staging. Ching- 
achgook had freed the mooring rope and the 
ark was now eight or ten feet away from the 
staging. Crouching on the deck, the Mohican 
fired and one of March’s pursuers pitched head¬ 
long into the water. 

March stumbled and fell, and instantly two 
Hurons pounced upon him, but they misjudged 
his strength. Raising himself suddenly on 
hands and knees, he shook them from him as 
though they were dead leaves and stumbled to 
his feet. Again his pursuers closed in and 
again Chingachgook fired. A Huron staggered 
back and fell. A second report came from the 
ark and this time it was Judith’s pistol that 
came between Harry and the death blow an 
upraised tomahawk was about to deliver. Now 
Judith leaped to the door of the cabin. 

“Hetty,” she cried, “help me!” 

The younger girl stepped out on deck just 
as a shower of arrows from the Hurons on the 


THE ATTACK 


247 


staging struck the ark. One grazed Judith’s 
shoulder, but she paid no heed. Grasping her 
sister’s hand, she ran to the stern, where the 
sweeps still hung in their locks. Instinctively, 
Hetty seemed to know what was expected of 
her. She threw all her weight against one 
sweep while Judith pulled desperately at the 
other and the ark slowly swung its bow back 
towards the Castle. A short stroke and it 
grazed the piling. 

“Jump, Harry, jump!” screamed Judith. 

March tore himself free from his antagonists 
and leaped. With a jarring crash he landed 
on the deck while the ark swung away from the 
Castle. 

But escape was not to come thus easily. 
Three Hurons ran to the edge of the staging 
and sprang out across the slowly widening 
strip of water that measured the safety of the 
ark. True as arrows they struck the deck and 
Harry March again found himself surrounded. 
This time, however, he was not alone. Ching- 
achgook, forgetting for the moment his feud 
with the white man, took aim and fired and one 
of the redskins toppled over dead. Then the 
Mohican threw himself at the remaining two, 
engaging them at close range until March had 
regained his feet. About the deck the four 


24)8 LEATHERSTOCKING 

struggled with a fury that set the ark to tossing 
as if it were riding a storm. 

In the stern Judith and Hetty, the latter 
assisted by Wah-ta-Wah, were working the 
sweeps in desperation. The ark was pulling 
away from the Castle, but so slowly that it 
hardly seemed to move at all. Frantically Ju¬ 
dith looked hack towards the staging and in 
horror she saw her father, bound hand and 
foot, the captive of the savages. But that was 
not all. Around the side of the Castle came 
a canoe, and in it were two Huron warriors 
paddling rapidly after the ark. One dropped 
his paddle and raised his bow. An arrow; 
whistled through the air, barely missing Ju¬ 
dith and burying its flint head in the cabin. 

With increasing speed the canoe came on 
while Chingachgook and March, unaware of 
this new menace, fought on in a last heart¬ 
breaking attempt to drive off the two Hurons 
who already had gained the ark. March’s great 
strength, so sorely taxed by his tremendous ex¬ 
ertions, was rapidly waning and it was with 
difficulty that he kept his foe’s knife from 
plunging into him. The Mohican, too, was 
sorely pressed. His antagonist had tripped 
him and was slowly forcing him to the deck. 

Judith could see no hope. With the ark’s 


THE ATTACK 249 

defenders gradually being beaten down and re- 
enforcements on the way, death seemed inev¬ 
itable. There was one final hope, although a 
slender one. Trailing behind the ark was a 
canoe, and to this she now turned her eyes. 

“Hetty,” she gasped, “the canoe!” 

Hetty understood. She released her hold on 
the sweep and reached for the line, pulling the 
canoe alongside. Judith ran to it and stepped 
in, followed by her sister. 

“Wah-ta-Wah,” she cried to the Indian girl 
who was watching with mild interest, “hurry!” 

Wah-ta-Wah shook her head. 

“No come,” she said, calmly. “Stay with 
Chingachgook. ” 

There was time for no more. Judith seized 
a paddle and in another moment the canoe 
was speeding away from the now motionless 
ark. Behind it relentlessly came the other 
canoe bearing the two Hurons, who now bent 
to their task with all their strength. 

By a dexterous twist of his body, Chingach¬ 
gook suddenly threw the Huron from him and, 
crouching, leaped at his prostrate foe. The 
warrior’s tomahawk swung aimlessly and the 
Mohican wrenched it from the weary hand that 
held it. Then with all the power of his arm 
he buried it in the skull of the luckless brave. 


250 LEATHERS TOCKIN G 

Harry March was faring less well. His 
strength was gone and the scalping knife was 
about to accomplish its purpose when the Mo¬ 
hican took a hand. His fingers closed about 
the Huron throat and gripped it with a deadly 
pressure. The warrior struggled frantically to 
free himself, but his efforts were fruitless. His 
breath came in gasps, and then he sank limply 
to the deck. 

Chingachgook stood back and coldly regarded 
the man whose life he had saved. He hated 
March and had sworn vengeance upon him for 
delivering Leatherstocking into the hands of 
the Hurons and no less for his deliberate mur¬ 
der of an inoffensive Huron girl. They were 
alone on the ark, save for Wah-ta-Wah and 
the two slain warriors. This was the chance 
for which he had waited—the chance to even 
all scores. March sensed his danger and re¬ 
coiled before the Mohican’s baleful glare. 

A Huron war cry rose from the Castle and 
both Chingachgook and March turned their 
eyes in that direction. A group of warriors 
stood on the staging and one of them held aloft 
an object that made Hurry Harry turn ashen 
in fear. It was a scalp! 

Silently the Mohican regarded this gruesome 
trophy. Its meaning was clear to him, but his 


THE ATTACK 251 

face became a mask which concealed whatever 
emotion he might feel. Even the threatening 
actions of the redskins on the staging failed 
to alter his expression. Not so March. His 
fear was painfully manifest as he saw the sav¬ 
ages hoard Hutter’s spare canoes and paddle 
rapidly towards the ark. Two rafts, each filled 
with warriors, rounded the side of the Castle 
from the rear where they had evidently been 
hidden, and this warlike armada converged on 
the lone craft where two men, deadly enemies 
though they were, found themselves bound for 
the moment in a common cause. 

Harry March leaped for the stubby mast and 
in a moment the sail was set. A fresh breeze 
that had sprung up in the darkening northwest 
caught the patch of white and the ark was sent 
scudding down the lake at a speed too great 
for the pursuers to follow. 

Meanwhile, Judith and Hetty were keeping 
their canoe well ahead of that in which the 
two Hurons were pursuing them. Time after 
time the redskins stopped their paddling long 
enough to send an arrow at the fleeing girls, 
but these went wide of their mark. In a rage, 
the Indians bent their paddles under the great 
force of their strokes and suddenly one of 
the blades snapped off short. Now hopelessly 


252 LEATHERSTOCKING 

handicapped, the Hurons gave up the chase and 
made their way slowly to shore. 

Far down the lake the ark was coming about. 
It had outdistanced the redskin fleet, the dis¬ 
gruntled members of which were paddling rap¬ 
idly towards the headland. 

Most of this uneven battle had been seen by 
the captive Leatherstocking and to him it 
seemed that he had lived through ages of suf¬ 
fering since the Hurons had first tied him to 
the tree in full view of Muskrat Castle. He 
had seen Hutter and March cautiously enter 
the building and only March emerge. He had 
experienced a thrill of savage pleasure at 
Hurry Harry’s brave fight against seemingly 
overwhelming odds on the landing stage and 
when Judith’s timely maneuver of the ark had 
saved the white man, he had uttered a fierce 
cry of encouragement. This brought down 
upon him the renewed wrath of his captors and 
a Huron fist dealt him a stinging blow on the 
lips. 

The escape of the ark drove Rivenoak mad 
with fury, and only the appearance of Hutter, 
bound hand and foot, made amends for this 
disappointment. 

“See,” he cried, “Muskrat scalp soon hang 
at Huron belt!” 


THE ATTACK 


253 


Leatherstocking groaned involuntarily. Only 
too well did lie know the fate that was in store 
for Judith’s father. 

Now his eyes turned towards the ark. Ju¬ 
dith and Hetty were just pulling away from it, 
and behind them came two Hurons in another 
canoe. His brave heart could stand no more. 
Wildly he implored Eivenoak to spare the 
women, but his appeal fell upon deaf ears. 
Eivenoak was certain that at last his warriors 
were about to seize victory from the very hands 
of defeat and his cruel joy knew no bounds. 

The unequal race went on. The strip of 
water between the two canoes grew narrower 
and one of the Hurons sent an arrow whizzing 
towards the fugitives. It missed and he tried 
again with the same result. Then, suddenly, 
when all hope seemed lost, a broken paddle 
put the Huron canoe out of the running. Ju¬ 
dith and Hetty* had won their race with death. 

Leatherstocking strained at his bonds and 
the Delaware cry of victory rang from his lips 
to be stilled a moment later as a raftload of 
Hurons from the Castle landed on the beach, 
for one of these warriors proudly exhibited a 
scalp. The story needed no telling: Leather¬ 
stocking knew and bowed his head to hide the 
agony of grief that overwhelmed him. 


254 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


At last the torture seemed ended. Riven- 
oak’s victory had been bought at a high price. 
One white scalp had cost him six men killed 
and at least ten wounded and he gave up in 
disgust. Tersely ordering Leatherstocking un¬ 
bound from the tree, he led his warriors back 
through the forest, leaving the remnants of 
the attacking party to return as best they 
might. Again the captive was brutally dragged 
over the rough ground and beaten when he fell. 
But he was content. Judith had escaped and 
nothing else mattered. 

Glimmerglass now appeared to be cleared of 
savages and Judith and Hetty turned their 
canoe back towards the Castle. Wearily they 
plied their paddles and their progress was slow, 
for the storm that was heralded by the dark 
clouds in the northwest was drawing nearer. 
The wind swept in violent gusts across the 
lake, churning the water into myriads of small 
waves in which the canoe pitched and tossed. 

With the strength born of great determina¬ 
tion, however, the two girls fought on, forcing 
their tired muscles to obey, and finally they 
drew up to the Castle landing stage. Heedless 
of the possibility that some of the savages were 
still lurking inside, they landed and hurried to 
the open door. 


THE ATTACK 


255 


* t Judith/’ gasped Hetty, ‘^listen! ,y 
From within came the voice of Hutter raised 
in a wild song of the sea. Then abruptly he 
shouted: “At ’em, Harry—the red devils— 
there’ll be loot aplenty for us all—a square 
divvy, that’s my way—” 

His voice trailed off into unintelligible mut- 
terings, and then all was silent. 

Judith stepped in front of her sister as if 
to shield her from some unknown terror and 
crossed the threshold in breathless apprehen¬ 
sion. The sight that met her eyes held her 
motionless with horror. The Spirit of Destruc¬ 
tion seemed to have swept through the room, 
leaving behind it a trail of chaotic wreckage 
in which nothing remained whole. The table 
and chairs had been reduced to splinters, the 
beds had been dragged from their places in 
the sleeping rooms and wrenched apart, the 
sea chest alone had withstood the savage as¬ 
sault of tomahawk and war club, but its sides 
and top were split and dented. At her feet 
lay the body of a Huron warrior; by the win¬ 
dow were two more. 

All these things Judith saw as through a 
haze, like some vague and wraithlike scene in 
a terrible dream, but the one object that stood 
out clearly in this house of the dead was a hud- 


256 LEATHERSTOCKING 

died figure in a far corner. It was her father 
—Floatin' Tom Hutter—and his head—but she 
could look no more. Dully she turned away 
and grasped her sister's shoulder, holding the 
girl so that she could not see the awful thing 
that lay beyond. 

“Wait outside," she said in a strange, harsh 
voice, “until I call." 

Hetty looked at her wonderingly and obeyed. 

Judith clenched her hands and steeled her¬ 
self for the task she had to perform. Sum¬ 
moning all her courage, she set her drawn 
white face towards the comer and fixed her 
eyes on the pitiful victim of inhuman foes. 
Like one walking in a dream, she picked her 
way across the wrecked room and knelt beside 
her father. He stirred and instinctively she 
drew hack, but realizing that she must not 
flinch, she quickly ripped the hem from the 
bottom of her petticoat and hound it tightly 
about his brow. Then she turned the body over 
and, resting the head in her lap, she called out: 

“ Hetty." 

As she did so, she heard the voice of Harry 
March, and she knew that the ark had returned. 

In answer to her cry, Hetty entered, fol¬ 
lowed by March, Chingachgook and Wah-ta- 
Wah. 


THE ATTACK 


257 


u Father!’’ she screamed, staring wildly at 
the figure on the floor. 

The head turned and the eyes opened. For 
a moment Hutter’s gaze wavered and then it 
rested on Hetty. 

“I’m not your father,’’ he whispered 
hoarsely, speaking with an effort. “He died 
long ago.” 

Hetty dropped to her knees beside him, hut 
Judith waved her hack. 

“He is delirious,” she said, sobbing. “He 
doesn’t know what he says.” 

Again Hutter’s lips moved, and they bent 
close. 

“—copper box—chest—your father’s name 

_ >> 

The head sank forward in Judith’s arms, 
the body grew limp—and so passed the Master 
of Muskrat Castle, dying as he had lived, a 
mystery. 

In the drenching rain that came with the 
early twilight, Tom Hutter was laid to rest 
beneath the waters of Glimmerglass. His 
secret went with him, for the sea chest had been 
emptied by the Hurons. More than that, the 
false bottom had been crushed in and its con¬ 
tents were gone. 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE BECKONING 

Dakkness descended upon the Castle, and 
with its coming the storm increased in fury. 
Vivid lightning tore across the black sky, dis¬ 
closing the surface of the lake whipped into 
waves by the shrieking wind, and the thunder 
echoed among the hills. 

Judith and Hetty, stunned at the cruel death 
of the man they had known as their father, 
seemed utterly incapable of thought or action. 
With his dying words, Hutter had denied all 
relationship to them and they were torn by 
conflicting emotions. In a flash they had been 
bereft of their lifelong protector and of their 
right to his name. The reference to the copper 
box, presumably as the receptacle in which the 
solution of the mystery would be found, might 
as well never have been uttered, for the maraud¬ 
ing savages had left nothing which could be 
carried away. The copper box, provided it 
was not the creation of a pain-shattered mind, 
was undoubtedly in Rivenoak’s possession by 


THE RECKONING 


259 


this time and, therefore, lost to them forever. 
In this hour of trial, Hetty sought consolation 
in the pages of her Bible, which she read by 
the flickering light of the fire that had been 
kindled on the hearth. Judith stood at the 
window, her unseeing eyes turned towards the 
storm-lashed lake illumined at intervals by the 
fitful play of lightning. 

Under the busy hands of Chingachgook and 
Wah-ta-Wah the Castle had been restored to 
some semblance of its former order. The 
bodies of the Indians had been tossed into the 
lake, the debris had been cleared away, and 
from the few remaining food stores a scanty 
supper had been prepared. 

For this, Hurry Harry March was the only 
one who seemed to have any appetite. He ate 
hurriedly and then went out on the landing 
stage, where he busied himself, ignoring the 
rain which drenched him to the skin. First 
he cut the sail from the ark and with it fash¬ 
ioned a canopy which he stretched on sticks 
of wood as a covering for one of the canoes. 
With rope and buckskin thongs he made this 
contrivance fast to the sides. A second canoe 
was pulled into place before the staging and 
the first was tied to it. Apparently satisfied 
with his work, he reentered the Castle and took 


260 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


Ms place silently at one end of the hearth, where 
he sat without once looking up. Judith had 
seen all this from the window, and she looked 
at March questioningly, but his eyes were fixed 
sullenly on the fire. 

“Wild Flower be safe now,” said the Mo- 
Mcan, starting up and approaching Judith. 
“ Chingachgook go Huron camp—find Leather¬ 
stocking, maybe.” 

“But you can’t go in this storm,” re¬ 
plied Judith wearily. “You’d never reach the 
shore.” 

“Storm gone,” he declared. “Just rain 
now. ’ ’ 

Then he strode over to where March sat by 
the fire. 

“Tall Pine,” he muttered, his hand resting 
on the hilt of his knife, “Tall Pine be guard 
here till Chingachgook come back.” 

There was a threat in the words as the In¬ 
dian spoke them—an order to March to pro¬ 
tect the women with his life or accept the con¬ 
sequences and what those consequences would 
be was unmistakably indicated by the knife 
which he had already come to fear. March 
nodded a surly acquiescence. 

Without another word, Chingachgook strode 
from the room, and a few moments later was 


THE RECKONING 261 

paddling through the driving rain towards the 
headland. 

For half an hour after the Indian left, dead 
silence reigned in the Castle. Hetty’s weary 
eyes closed, and she nodded over the page. 
Judith stared into the fire and Wah-ta-Wah 
peered through the window into the darkness 
as if trying to catch a farewell glimpse of 
her lover. March paced uneasily to and fro, 
his furtive glance now resting on Judith, now 
on the other two. 

“Hetty,” called Judith gently, rising and 
placing her hand on her sister’s shoulder, 
“don’t sit up any longer. There is a blanket 
left in the bedroom. Go in there and get some 
rest, please, dear.” 

Hetty rose sleepily to her feet and closed the 
Book. 

“I am very tired, Judith,” she admitted with ’ 
a faint smile, “but I don’t want to leave you. 
Won’t you come with me? You need rest as 
well as I.” 

“No, dear, I’m all right,” answered Judith. ; 
“I will wait here for the Mohican. t Wah-ta- 
Wah will go with you.” 

The Delaware girl flashed baleful eyes at 
March, but his back was turned and he seemed 
to be paying no attention. Hetty kissed Judith 


262 LE ATHERSTOCKIN G 

good-night and left the room, followed reluc¬ 
tantly by Wah-ta-Wah. 

March looked craftily over his shoulder as 
the door closed and saw that Judith was stand¬ 
ing before the fire gazing fixedly into the glow¬ 
ing embers. As silently as a panther stalking 
its prey, he crept up behind her. His big hands 
grasped her shoulders, and he swung her around 
until she faced him. The fear and loathing that 
he read in her eyes infuriated him and viciously 
he bent his head and kissed her. 

1 ( You beast!” she exclaimed in a low voice, 
and wrenched herself free. 

“I’m only takin’ what’s mine by rights,” he 
returned angrily. 

“You have no right to put your hands upon 
me, much less to insult me with your kisses. 
If Leatherstocking were here—” 

“Ah, but he ain’t here,” March snarled. 
“By now he’s felt a Mingo’s scalpin’ knife, so 
you needn’t count on him.” 

Judith recoiled in horror. 

“Jude, you haven’t been fair with me,” he 
went on, adopting new tactics. “In the old 
days you didn’t think so badly of me. I had 
an idee that maybe this time you’d agree to 
marry me. We could go to the settlemints and 
there’d be an end to it. But when Leather- 


THE RECKONING 263 

stocking come here, you had no thought for 
me, only for him. 

“Now he’s gone and your father, or who¬ 
ever he was, is gone, too. You and Hetty are 
alone. Say the word, gal, and we three will 
start for the settlemint to-night—now. We’d 
be there by midday to-morrow—just an easy 
run down the outlet. What do you say?” 

Through this long plea, Judith had been 
eyeing him coldly. Now she turned on him 
in a fury. 

“What do I say?” she cried. “I say that 
you, Harry March, are lower than the lowest 
beast that lives! You have betrayed a white 
man into the hands of the Hurons, you have 
murdered an innocent and harmless Indian girl, 
and now you ask me to be your wife! I would 
sooner go to Rivenoak’s lodge as his squaw!” 

March went white with anger. He was about 
to speak, but Judith’s blazing eyes held him 
silent and she went on relentlessly: 

“But for your cowardly shot of warning, 
Leatherstocking would not now be a prisoner— 
or dead. He was your friend! He trusted 
you and you deliberately gave him up to those 
fiends! But for you my father would not now 
be sleeping at the bottom of the lake. When 
you killed that little Indian girl, you signed 


264 LEATHERSTOCKING 

his death, warrant, and Leather stocking's too. 
You sneaking ingrate! You murderer!" 

Judith sprang at the hulking form before 
her and her fists beat madly on his breast. 
March was so overcome with astonishment at 
this unexpected outburst that he retreated be¬ 
fore it. In a moment, however, he mastered 
his surprise. He caught the little hands in his 
and held them powerless and then he drew the 
girl to him. 

“Now, my lady, if you've had your say, I’ll 
have mine," he snarled. “You’re cornin' with 
me to-night, whether you like it or not." 

“Then you will have to kill me first," she 
replied calmly, but with a determination that 
could not be misunderstood. Then contemptu¬ 
ously, “That should be easy for you since kill¬ 
ing women comes so naturally to you." 

With an oath, March threw her from him 
and stood looking down at her in a rage that 
distorted his face. Judith returned his gaze 
unflinchingly. 

“Harry March," she said with deadly ear¬ 
nestness, “you will answer for these insults 
to me—you will answer to Leatherstocking, if 
he still lives—-" 

“Don't count on that," he interrupted with 


THE RECKONING 265 

a vicious leer. “Ell warrant lie’s dead 
now!” 

“—or to Chingachgook if lie doesn’t,” the 
girl continued, not heeding the interruption. 

At the mention of the Mohican’s name, 
March turned a sickly white and glanced fur¬ 
tively at the door. Judith noted his fear. 

“You contemptible coward!” she said, with 
withering scorn. “You are very brave when 
threatened with the name of a man you believe 
to be dead, but you cringe like the miserable 
cur you are at the mention of one you know 
to be alive.” 

March could stand no more. Goaded beyond 
endurance by Judith’s denunciation, he put all 
caution behind him. 

“Talk all you like,” he cried, “your time for 
talkin’ is about over. I’m leaving here in a few 
minutes and you’re goin’ with me, but first let 
me tell you somethin’ for you to think over 
;when you ’re my squaw! 

“I’ve wanted you a long time—ever sence 
you began to grow up, and I made up my mind 
to have you. When I met Leatherstocking on 
the way to Glimmerglass I was afeerd you’d 
fall in love with him, but I had a way to keep 
him from failin’ in love with you. I give him 


266 LEATHERSTOCKING 

to understand that you was the mistress of an 
officer in one of the forts, and he believed it, 
the fool! He believed every word of it! 

“I saw how he tried to keep out of your way, 
hut you wouldn’t have it. You hunted him out. 
So I had to think out another plan—somethin’ 
that would settle him for good and all. But 
the plan come to me all worked out. When 
he went ashore with that damned Injin last 
night I fixed him. I waited ontil I heerd the 
loon cry that showed he was in the Mingo camp 
and then I fired that pistol. Oh, it wasn’t no 
accident and it wasn’t no mistake! I did it 
deliberate and it worked. The Mingos caught 
him jist like I hoped they would. 

“And I killed the Injin girl a-purpose, too 
—I killed her so the Mingos ’ud kill Leather¬ 
stocking. Now you know you can’t trifle with 
me any longer. You’re cornin’ with me and 
you’re cornin’ now!” 

Judith heard this exultant confession of in¬ 
famy with a feeling of horror. Too dazed to 
cry out her loathing, she stood staring at him 
in utter disbelief. March stepped towards her 
and reached out his hand. This movement 
brought her back to her own peril and, with 
a shriek, she ran from him. He leaped for 


THE RECKONING 


267 


her, but suddenly found himself facing a rifle 
held unswervingly in the hands of Wah-ta- 
Wah. Attracted by the loud voices, Hetty and 
the Indian girl had crept into the room, and 
so intent had March been on the evil business 
in hand that he had not heard them. 

“Stop!” cried Wah-ta-Wah, menacing him 
with his own weapon which he had left lean¬ 
ing against the wall near the door to the bed¬ 
room. 

“You fool! ” he snarled. *‘Drop that gun !’ y 

Again he reached for Judith. 

4 ‘ Stop!’’ repeated the Delaware girl. “Wah- 
ta-Wah shoot if Tall Pine touch Wild Flower!” 

March carefully judged his distance from 
her, then with a lightning-like swing of his 
hand, he knocked the heavy weapon from her 
grasp. Hetty leaped in front of him, but he 
sent her to the floor with a cruel blow of his 
fist. He grasped Judith and, tossing her over 
his shoulder, rushed to the outer door. 

With a crash, the door flew open and there 
on the threshold, his clothes dripping wet, stood 
—Leatherstocking! 

A cry of fear mingled with amazement burst 
from March’s white lips, and he staggered back 
like one who had received a stunning blow. 


268 LEATIJERSTOCKING 

Judith slipped from his nerveless arms and he 
stood trembling like an aspen at sight of the 
man he had so grievously wronged. 

“You!” he gasped hoarsely, his eyes start¬ 
ing from his head. 

“Yes, and no thanks to you,” came the grim 
answer. 

“3Ye were—just—” March began in confu¬ 
sion. 

“I know,” replied Leatherstocking. “I’ve 
been a-standin’ out there in the rain for some 
time, and I heerd every word you said. Well 
settle that later.” 

A sob from Judith caused him to glance 
down. She was kneeling where March had 
dropped her, and Leatherstocking hurried to 
her side. 

“Now then, Judith, don’t cry,” he said 
softly. 

“It’s joy that’s making me cry,” she an¬ 
swered, as he lifted her to her feet. “I thought 
you were dead, but you’ve been spared to me.” 

She caught his hand and pressed it to her 
lips. Leatherstocking put an arm around her 
and held her close for a moment and then led 
her over to Hetty. 

“March,” he said brusquely, turning to that 
individual, who was watching this scene with 


THE RECKONING 269 

a sneer on his cruel lips, “you’re to blame for 
all this trouble. I’ve thought it from the first 
and now I’ve heerd you admit it.” 

“Well, and what are you goin’ to do about 
it? The Mingos is probably after you now.” 

“No, they’re not,” Leatherstocking replied. 
“I’m not an escaped prisoner. I’m here be¬ 
cause I promised Rivenoak I’d bring you hack 
to answer for killin’ that girl this afternoon. 
If you go back with me and give yourself up, 
Judith and Hetty will he spared. If you don’t, 
the Mingos will attack the Castle at daylight 
and you know what that means. It’s your life 
or the lives of these two girls. What’s your 
answer?” 

March shuddered in horror, hut made an at¬ 
tempt, although a futile one, to bluster. 

“My answer is that I’ll see you in hell afore 
I give myself up to them murderin’ devils,” 
he shouted wildly. “You’re a fool to think 
I’d do it. I’m goin’ to the settlemints. Let 
the Mingos get me there if they can!” 

He dashed for the door, but Leatherstocking 
stepped in front of him. 

“You’re just the kind of a coward I thought,” 
he cried. “To save your own worthless hide, 
you’d turn these two girls over to the Mingos 
like you did me. 


270 LEATHERSTOCKING 

“Harken to me, Harry March! There’s a 
score to be settled betwixt us. Pm goin’ to 
settle that, and then I’m goin’ to take you 
back to Rivenoak with me!” 

“Stand out o’ my way, damn you!” roared 
March, drawing his hunting knife. “Stand out 
o’ my way or I’ll cut ye in ribbons!” 

Judith screamed and Hetty covered her eyes 
with her hands as the gigantic woodsman, 
driven wild by fear, launched himself at the 
stripling who barred his way to freedom and 
even to life itself. 


CHAPTER XX 


THE PAYMENT 

Leatherstocking braced himself for the 
shock. With his left foot advanced, he crouched 
low and met the full force of March’s onslaught 
with his shoulder. Despite his own strength, 
the weight of his opponent’s body drove him 
crashing back against the door and he had just 
time to dodge the vicious knife thrust. 

The ferocity of the lunge caused March to 
lose his footing for a second and Leatherstock¬ 
ing, leaping in close, caught the knife hand in 
both his own. He gave the wrist a sudden back¬ 
ward twist and the weapon clattered to the 
floor where, at the risk of being trampled upon, 
Wah-ta-Wah recovered it. The advantage thus 
gained by Leatherstocking, however, was short¬ 
lived, for the giant woodsman instantly re¬ 
gained his balance and shot his fist forward 
like a battering-ram. Leatherstocking dodged, 
but not quickly enough. The blow landed on 
the side of his head and set him spinning across 
the room. By a desperate effort, he prevented 
himself from falling and managed to twist his 
271 


272 LEATHERSTOCKING 

body to one side, striking out furiously as 
March charged him again. His fist landed full 
on March's chin, and the Castle trembled as 
the huge bulk of the woodsman measured its 
length on the floor. 

For a moment Leatherstocking stood looking 
at his fallen foe and, noting no movement, he 
bent forward to ascertain the exact result of 
his blow. Like a flash the long arms shot up¬ 
ward and the powerful fingers fastened them¬ 
selves like vises about his throat. He was 
dragged downward and, although he strug¬ 
gled desperately, he felt himself being slowly 
crushed in the embrace. 

Judith cried out in agony and would have 
rushed to Leatherstocking's aid had not Wah- 
ta-Wah restrained her. The Delaware girl had 
seen something which told her March's sud¬ 
denly restored strength was but a flash in the 
pan. His eyes were rolling with pain and diz¬ 
ziness from the blow that had felled him, and 
even the effort required to retain his grip on 
Leatherstocking's throat was telling on him 
severely. 

“No fear Tall Pine now," exclaimed 3Vah- 
ta-Wah, pressing Judith behind her. 

And indeed it seemed she had spoken truly. 

Leatherstocking tore at the great hands that 


273 


THE PAYMENT 

were trying desperately to strangle him, and 
with a sudden swift movement he wrenched 
loose from their hold. 

Now fully aware of his danger, March stum¬ 
bled unsteadily to his feet and stood looking 
wildly about him like a caged beast. Leather¬ 
stocking crouched between him and the door, 
relentlessly awaiting the next move. 

“Now will you go to Rivenoak with me, or 
must I take you?” he demanded. 

In answer March roared out a curse, but be¬ 
fore he could launch the attack he was plan¬ 
ning, Leatherstocking was upon him. His fists 
rained blow after blow on the head and chest 
of his betrayer and he dodged and shifted so 
bewilderingly that hardly a blow landed upon 
him in return. Desperately March swung his 
great arms, lunging blindly this way and that, 
but without avail. The merciless assault drove 
him steadily back until his way was blocked by 
the wall. 

Bruised and bleeding from the hard knuckles 
that pounded him, seemingly from all sides, he 
made one last effort to rush his foe. It was 
the move Leatherstocking had been waiting for 
and he took instant advantage of it. March 
plunged forward, then staggered back against 
the wall, literally beaten down by the storm of 


274 LEATHERSTOCKING 

blows from the fists of bis enemy. He dropped 
to one knee, raising bis arms to protect bis 
bead and face, but they were powerless to stave 
off tbe fury of the attack. With a groan, be 
sank to tbe floor, a pitiful chattering bulk, now 
begging for mercy. 

Panting from his exertions, but still pre¬ 
pared to carry on tbe fight, Leatherstocking 
stood over bis beaten foe. 

“Will you come now, you coward!” be asked 
grimly. 

March groaned and cried out in horror. 

“We’re losin’ time,” persisted Leatherstock- 
ing. ‘‘Answer me!” 

“I can’t—go,” came tbe whispered answer, 
gaspingly. “They—they’d kill me!” 

Judith ran forward and caught Leatherstock¬ 
ing’s hands. 

“Spare him that, please—for my sake,” she 
pleaded. “He has been punished enough. Re¬ 
member that he’s a white man—you couldn’t 
send one of your own kind to such a death. 
He has blackened my name and his treachery 
has killed one very dear to me, but—you can’t 
deliver him into the hands of those fiends!” 

“But, Judith, it’s his life or yours,” ex¬ 
claimed Leatherstocking. 

“I’ll chance it, even with those odds,” she 


THE PAYMENT 


275 


replied. “We can surely find some way to es¬ 
cape. Let him go to the settlements, now. 
Give him that chance. If there is any humanity 
in his cruel heart, he will suffer for the evil 
he has brought here. Promise that he shall go 
free!” 

Leatherstocking drew back. March’s infamy 
was unspeakable. He had betrayed his own 
race, he had wantonly slain the gentle Dove 
Wing, he had brought death to Hutter. He 
deserved no consideration and yet—he was a 
white man. The fate that awaited him if he 
were given over to Rivenoak was awful to con¬ 
template. Judith was right. 

“Very well,” answered Leatherstocking 
slowly. “He shall go free.” 

Then he turned to the cowering figure on 
the floor. 

“Get up, March, and make your start,” he 
commanded. “Take your rifle and a canoe. 
Don’t let me come across you agin, or I’ll for¬ 
get that you are white. Now go!” 

March rose weakly to his feet and for a mo¬ 
ment leaned against the wall for support. Then 
he staggered across the floor, grasped his rifle 
and passed out into the storm and the night. 

Leatherstocking watched in silence the de¬ 
parture of the man who had been his friend. 


276 leatherstocking 

Hurry Harry March, Ms trusted companion 
on many a hunting trail—a murderer, a cow¬ 
ard, an enemy to his own race! It was un¬ 
believable. For a moment tears dimmed Ms 
eyes, and he brushed them away with a savage 
sweep of Ms hand as he told himself that March 
had removed himself from the hounds of hu¬ 
man sympathy. Outcast by white men, hunted 
like a wild beast by red, he must now accept 
the consequences of the havoc he had wrought. 
He must travel the trail alone. 

It was Judith who interrupted this sad rev¬ 
erie. 

“Shall we start now!” she asked, her voice 
trembling with suppressed excitement. 

Leatherstocking shook his head. 

“We’d best wait till daylight,” he replied. 
“You get some sleep. I’ll wait here.” 

Intuitively conscious of his grief, she mur¬ 
mured a soft “Good night” and left the room. 
The fire died db^n to a soft glow, and far into* 
the Mght he stood at the window with watchful 
eyes turned shoreward. 

The fury of the storm had abated when 
Harry March slammed the door of Muskrat 
Castle behind him for the last time. Still dazed 
at the suddenness of his defeat, he looked about 
in bewilderment as if he knew not what way 


277 


THE PAYMENT 

to turn, and the rain beat down upon him un¬ 
heeded. But one thought took definite shape 
in his mind—the thought that he must speedily- 
put all the distance possible between him and 
Glimmerglass Lake—and this stirred his weary, 
pain-wracked body into action. 

Tied to the landing stage and plainly visible 
in the faint rays of firelight from the window 
was the canoe he had prepared for Judith, its 
canopy now loosened and one corner whipping 
in the wind. With an exclamation of disgust, 
he turned away from it and cut the line that 
made it fast to the second canoe. Into this he 
stepped and with his paddle sent it out onto 
the dark water. Apparently unmindful of the 
direction which his furious strokes were taking 
him, he forced the frail craft on and on, now 
driven by a haunting fear that seemed to ride 
in his wake. Forward into the inky blackness,, 
he drove the canoe. His eyes stared straight 
ahead, hut they saw not the headland that 
loomed in front of him. 

Suddenly the canoe grated on the beach and 
came to a jolting stop. March leaped out into 
the shallow water, plunging through it and 
up on the shore. A great fear lashed him 
forward, across the sandy shingle and into the 
underbrush. Panting and gasping, he tore on- 


278 LEATHERSTOCKING 
ward into the deeper forest, the shadowy hor¬ 
rors now seeming to press in closer and closer 
upon him. He stumbled and fell, but instantly 
he regained his footing and ran on. 

A thicket blocked his path and he stopped, 
paralyzed with fear as an Indian scalp lock 
rose above it. His hands were thrust out and 
he shrieked in terror. A Huron tomahawk 
crashed down with lightninglike swiftness, and 
Hurry Harry March had reached the end of 
the lone trail. 

A half hour later three Huron warriors ran 
breathlessly into the camp and their coming 
threw the tribe into a fury of excitement. 
These braves were trusted scouts of Rivenoak, 
and for two days they had been reconnoitering 
to the east of Glimmerglass. The word they 
brought back was alarming. 

“Many white soldiers are advancing through 
the forest,” the leader declared excitedly. 

Pressed for details, he told of coming upon 
the Yengee column of red-coats less than half 
a day’s march away. They were approaching 
the head of Glimmerglass and in number they 
were ten times greater than the Huron war- 
party. 

Rivenoak was infuriated at this menace to 
his plans. To harry a handful of white settlers 


THE PAYMENT 279 

was one thing, to face a detachment of seasoned 
British troops was quite another. He must act 
quickly if he would accomplish the purpose he 
had in mind. 

“We met a Yengee scout,” continued the 
spokesman, “but he will not carry hack word 
of our strength to the white chief. See!” 

And he held up a grewsome object—a human 
scalp. 

Bivenoak looked at it keenly. 

“This came from the head of no white sol¬ 
dier,” he declared, holding it before the flick¬ 
ering firelight. 

“No soldier,” said the other, “but a white 
scout. Him you call Tall Pine.” 

An exclamation of savage joy burst from 
Bivenoak. 

“Then but one remains,” he cried. “Leath¬ 
erstocking. He will return, for his lips do not 
speak lies. To take the Wild Flower and the 
Pale Lily will be women’s work now. Let the 
white soldiers come. The Hurons will be gone 
like the shadows of night before the sun’s 
rays! ’ ’ 

From the depths of a thicket, well within 
hearing, the figure of an Indian crawled silently 
towards the edge of the forest. Once shielded 
by trees he rose to his feet. It „was Chingach- 


280 LEATHERSTOCKING 

gook, who had prolonged his fruitless search 
for Leatherstocking and thereby gained valua¬ 
ble information of Rivenoak’s plans to strike 
quickly. With all the speed he could summon, 
the Mohican dashed through the forest and 
'down to the water’s edge. From the under¬ 
brush he dragged his canoe, and a moment later 
he was paddling furiously towards Muskrat 
Castle. 


CHAPTER XXI 

THE SERPENT STRIKES 

Gray dawn found Leatherstocking and Ching- 
achgook laying final plans for the abandonment 
of the Castle. The Mohican had recounted in 
detail the killing of March and the warning of 
the Huron scouts that the British were advanc¬ 
ing. 

“But we can’t count on that, Sarpent,” in¬ 
sisted Leatherstocking. “ Maybe it was only a 
patrol marchin’ from one fort to another. In 
that case, they wouldn’t come this way, they’d 
go straight north’ards. Them Mingos are no¬ 
torious liars. Most like they’d tell Rivenoak 
they met the whole British army if they thought 
such a tale ’ud make ’em out to be braver than 
what they are.” 

Chingachgook was silent. This might be the 
explanation and if it were, Judith and Hetty 
had little to hope for on that score. 

“No, it won’t do to figger on any help like 
that,” went on Leatherstocking. “Things are 
about as bad as they could be, so let’s not raise 
any false hopes.” 


281 


282 LEATHERSTOCKING 

At this point Judith entered the room, red¬ 
eyed from weeping and very evidently unre¬ 
freshed by sleep. Soon she was joined by 
Hetty and Wah-ta-Wah, and a hastily prepared 
breakfast was disposed of in troubled silence. 

“You said we could start at daylight,” began 
Judith, turning to Leatherstocking. “Don’t 
you think we should make all the haste we can? ’’ 
“Judith,” he replied gravely, “I couldn’t 
tell you all last night. Now you must know. 
Rivenoak’s terms ain’t such as you can meet, 
but I’ll tell them. In the first place, he de¬ 
mands that you become a Huron squaw and 
that Hetty be turned over to the tribe to be 
taken care of by them. Wah-ta-Wah must be 
the squaw of Briarthorn.” 

“The beasts,” Judith cried angrily. “What 
unspeakable villainy! ’ ’ 

“They’re Rivenoak’s words,” Leatherstock- 
ing reminded her. “I’m only his messenger. 
You can’t meet the terms, that I know; so you 
and Hetty and Wah-ta-Wah must escape at 
once. There are three canoes outside as well 
as the raft I come on last night. The Sar- 
pent ’ll see you through and you can depend 
on him. Once in the outlet, and you’re safe, 
for the Mingos can’t follow you there, havin’ 
no canoes.” 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 283 


“But you,” Judith exclaimed, in apprehen¬ 
sion, “surely you will go with us?” 

Leatherstocking shook his head grimly. 

“I go back to the Huron camp and give my¬ 
self up,” he said simply. “I gave Rivenoak 
my word. ’ ’ 

Judith ran to him and threw her arms about 
him. 

“You can’t mean that,” she cried. “You 
can’t! It would be death! I can’t let you go 
—I love you—don’t you understand—I love 
you! ’ ’ 

Leatherstocking clasped her in his arms and 
buried his face in her hair. Then determinedly 
he drew back from her. 

“Judith,” he said, tensely, “you’re makin’ 
it mighty difficult for me to do what I know 
is right. I love you, I’ve loved you all along 
in spite of March’s lies. Now, to hear you say 
you love me, too, it’s—it’s like plannin’ for the 
future when the end is only a few hours away.” 

“My darling,” she cried, “if it means your 
death, then I pray God my own will come, too! 
I won’t let you go! I can’t!” 

“I’m determined,” he said, calmly, once 
more master of himself. “I gave my word to 
Rivenoak and I must go back.” 

“Then I’m going with you,” interrupted 


284 LEATHERSTOCKING 

Hetty, who suddenly stepped before him. ‘ i The 
Hurons will not harm me, and they may hear 
the message I have for them. Shall we start 
now?” 

Leatherstocking looked at her aghast. 

“Why, you can’t do that!” he exclaimed. 
“It would do no good and would just run you 
into needless danger.” 

“There will be no danger,” replied Hetty 
calmly, and she passed out to the staging and 
stepped lightly into one of the canoes. 

“Come,” she called. 

“Hetty can save you,” cried Judith. “The 
Hurons fear her. Please let her go with you.” 

Leatherstocking was in a quandary. He 
knew the Hurons would not lay hands on the 
girl whom they believed to be in the keeping 
of the Great Manitou, and yet he had no desire 
to subject her to the dangers that he felt lay 
ahead. Chingachgook, however, decided for 
him. 

“Take Pale Lily,” he urged. “Huron war¬ 
riors afraid of her. Maybe set Leather stock¬ 
ing free.” 

“Have it so then,” said Leather stocking, with 
resignation. 

Gently he took Judith in his arms again and 
kissed her. He bade farewell to Chingachgook 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 285 

and Wah-ta-Wah and then stepped into the 
canoe. Without a backward glance, he paddled 
away towards shore with Hetty kneeling in. 
front of him. 

Around the end of the headland, Leather¬ 
stocking guided the craft and the three on the 
wharf could see it no more. 

‘ 1 Look, Leatherstocking, ’’ cried Hetty sud¬ 
denly, “the Hurons are waiting for us!” 

There on the shore, just inside the headland, 
a group of savages stood on the beach at the 
point where they believed it most likely that 
Leatherstocking would land. He paddled stead¬ 
ily on and at length the canoe ran up on the 
sand. Stepping out, he helped Hetty to land, 
then turned to face the silent redskins who 
stood looking on motionless. Foremost in the 
group was Rivenoak and to him Leatherstock¬ 
ing addressed himself. 

“Mingo,” he said gravely, “I’ve come hack 
like I said. One favor I’ll ask. Let this girl, 
the Pale Lily, return to her sister unharmed.” 

“Leatherstocking speak true,” returned the 
Huron chief. “Keep word to Rivenoak, Riven- 
oak let Pale Lily go in peace. I have spoken. ’ ’ 

Hetty stood at one side looking on curiously. 
She had not spoken, nor had she made any sign, 
hut the Hurons, fearful of the powers with 


286 LEATHERSTOCKING 

which they believed the Great Manitou had en¬ 
dowed her, watched her with awe. When they 
led Leatherstocking away, she followed in 
silence. 

The canoe bearing Leatherstocking and Hetty 
had no sooner vanished around the headland 
than there came to Judith a sudden desperate 
idea to make one last attempt to save the life 
of the man she loved. Chingachgook and Wah- 
ta-Wah, standing at the edge of the staging, 
were looking off to where they had last seen 
Leatherstocking. A canoe was tied at the end 
of the wharf, the one the Mohican had used 
the night before, and she leaped into it. In 
a flash she freed it from the ring bolt to which 
it was tied and was paddling away towards 
shore before her move was detected. Paying 
no heed to Chingaehgook’s pleas that she come 
back, Judith drove the canoe on through the 
water. She rounded the headland and paddled 
rapidly onward until she reached the beach 
where Leatherstocking and Hetty had landed 
but a few minutes before. 

No one was in sight and Judith leaped out 
on the sand. This was strange and unfamiliar 
territory to her and in her excitement she be¬ 
came confused, starting off through the woods 
in a direction opposite to that taken by Riven- 



JUDITH,” SHE MURMURED, “I’M SO VERY TIRED— 






















(THE SERPENT STRIKES 287 

oak and his prisoner. Desperately she ran on 
over the rough ground. She sought only to 
reach Leatherstocking’s side in time to save 
him by some miraculous means, or to die with 
him if all failed. Prom time to time as she 
ran she was conscious of a curious rumbling 
sound that rose and fell rhythmically, but she 
paid no heed. 

It was not to the camp that the Hurons led 
their prisoner. The camp, save a few of the 
lodges, had vanished. Rivenoak’s people had 
broken camp and were ready to take the trail 
at the first sign of the threatened British ad¬ 
vance. To the foot of the cliff the savages led 
Leatherstocking and in a natural clearing they 
halted. There they left him unbound while 
they piled leaves and dry branches about a 
tree trunk in ominous preparation for the final 
act in the tragedy. 

Hetty watched with startled eyes, and then 
she approached Rivenoak. 

“Huron,” she said earnestly, “I beg you to 
hear the word of God before you go further 
with this awful work.” 

Rivenoak raised his hand and the warriors 
drew back from their prisoner. 

“Pale Lily speak,” he said. 

“God says ‘Thou shalt not kill,’” Hetty 


288 LEATHERSTOCKING 

went on. “You cannot give human life, there¬ 
fore you must not take human life.” 

With a frown Rivenoak considered this 
thought. It was a new idea so far as he was 
concerned and for a moment he turned it over 
in his mind. At length he reached a decision. 

“Pale Lily speaks words of wisdom,” he 
said. “Maybe Great Manitou angry if Hurons 
take scalp. Leatherstocking kill Lynx. Leave 
squaw without warrior. Maybe Leatherstock¬ 
ing take Lynx squaw for his squaw. Maybe 
he be Huron now, not Delaware.” 

These last were in the form of queries ad¬ 
dressed to the prisoner. The answer came 
quickly and with emphasis. 

‘ ‘ Never! ’ * shouted Leather stocking, defiantly. 
“I killed the Lynx in a fair fight—it was his 
life or mine. A white man can’t marry an 
Indian woman, and I’ll take no Huron squaw. 
As for becomin’ a Mingo, I’d die first!” \ 

There could be no mistaking the meaning. 
With death as the alternative, the captive flatly 
refused to temporize. 

From the group of Hurons a ferocious war 
cry rang out and a warrior pushed his way 
through them. It was the Panther, kinsman 
of the dead Lynx’s squaw, and the fury of his 
paint-streaked face made him seem a veritable 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 289 

demon in human form. He raised his toma¬ 
hawk and hurled it with deadly aim at Leather¬ 
stocking. 

Then a miracle was wrought. Leatherstock¬ 
ing stepped aside and as he did so he caught 
the shaft of the flying weapon in one hand. 
Before the astonished savages could cry out, 
the tomahawk was sent whizzing back again. 
Its keen stone edge split the skull of the 
Panther, and he fell dead in his tracks. 

The instant the tomahawk left his hand, 
Leatherstocking bounded away into the forest. 
For a second the Hurons were motionless with 
amazement and then with fierce cries of anger 
they set off in pursuit. 

To Judith these shouts came faintly as from 
a distance. In fact, she hardly heeded them, 
for the rumbling that had at first sounded 
vague and indistinct now came nearer, and she 
ran on with renewed strength. It was the beat¬ 
ing of drums! Of this she was certain. Or was 
it but overwrought imagination! Louder and 
louder it came, and now she could distinguish 
the martial roll. It was the sound of drums! 

That could mean but one thing—that a body 
of troops was near. Then there was still hope 
that she might save Leatherstocking! 

Patiently awaiting the return of the warriors 


290 LEATHERS TOCKIN G 

—for she knew Leatherstocking could not es¬ 
cape—Hetty seated herself on a rock near the 
tree around which the leaves and branches had 
been piled. She heard the cries of the pursuers 
off in the forest and then came an exultant 
shout that told the story. Leatherstocking had 
been recaptured. His brave fight for freedom 
had met with defeat. In a few moments the 
savages crashed back through the brush, drag¬ 
ging their prisoner, now firmly bound with 
buckskin thongs. 

The fury of the Hurons had passed beyond 
the stage where words would avail. Hetty felt 
this to be true and her heart sank within her, 
but with unflagging courage she boldly ap¬ 
proached Rivenoak. 

4 ‘Your acts are displeasing to God,” she said 
with firmness. “It is wrong for you to torture 
and kill. There is yet time for you to hear 
God’s word.” 

“No hear white Manitou’s word,” exclaimed 
Rivenoak angrily. “Paleface must die!” 

He left her abruptly and stepped up to the 
prisoner who had been tied securely to the 
tree. 

“Now see if Huron knife draw white blood,” 
he snarled and, stepping back, ordered five of 
his most powerful warriors to begin the torture. 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 291 

Leatherstocking knew his death was now only 
a matter of minutes. Desperately he resolved 
that he would face it in a manner befitting a 
white man and, casting a scornful glance at 
the warriors who had lined themselves up in a 
row twenty-five feet distant from him, he hurst 
into a loud laugh. 

The youthful Black Eagle, bereaved of his 
loved one by a white man’s bullet, cried out 
in rage and leaped in front of the line of war¬ 
riors. Before he could be stopped from this 
usurpation of a full-fledged brave’s prerogative, 
he hurled a stone-headed ax at the hated pale¬ 
face. The weapon went wide of its mark and 
Leatherstocking’s taunting laugh followed him 
as he was roughly thrown back into his place 
among the young men of the tribe. 

“Try agin, boy,” cried the prisoner de¬ 
risively, “or the Mingo squaws’ll laugh in your 
face! ’ ’ 

Now a warrior raised his arm, and his tom¬ 
ahawk whizzed through the air, crashing into 
the tree just above Leatherstocking’s head. A 
savage cry of triumph rose from the redskins, 
but their victim never winced. Another toma¬ 
hawk was launched at him by a powerful arm 
and the bark beside his face was stripped from 
the tree and dangled from a shred of fiber. 


292 LEATHERSTOCKING 

A scalping knife glittered like a flash of winged 
lightning and pierced the wood so close to his 
head that a strand of hair was pinned to the 
tree by its point. But with death flying at him 
from a dozen hands, Leatherstocking main¬ 
tained his self-mastery. His sneering smile 
broadened and in tones of disgust he exclaimed: ; 

“A Delaware squaw could do better!” 

At a word from Rivenoak, the warriors with¬ 
drew and a moment of tense silence followed, j 
Then a weird chant arose, and the ranks of sav¬ 
ages separated. Down the lane thus formed 
Se-tah-ga, the Medicine Man, in full ceremonial 
regalia, advanced, now bending his body and j 
now straightening it as he shook a blazing torch 
which he held in one hand. As he approached | 
the prisoner, his chant rose to a shriek and 
was taken up by the warriors and squaws until , 
the forest echoed with its piercing and discor¬ 
dant notes. 

The meaning of this was clear to Leather¬ 
stocking. The test of his courage was over 
and now the torture was to begin. The wav¬ 
ing torch came nearer and nearer and he closed 
his eyes, patiently awaiting the crackle of 
branches and the flames that would envelop his 
body. 

The wild cries ceased and the resinous smoke 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 293 

from the torch made him gasp. He opened 
his eyes and the sight that met his gaze startled 
from him an exclamation of fear—not for him¬ 
self, but for Hetty, who had interposed her 
slender form between him and the formidable 
Se-tah-ga. Her hand grasped the torch and 
stayed it in mid-air. 

“The curse of God will fall upon you if you 
do not stop this murder," she cried. 

Se-tah-ga drew back, awed by the girl's fear¬ 
less eyes. 

“The Hurons are led by an evil spirit," she 
went on. “Already many of their warriors 
have been slain. They have killed my father 
and Hurry Harry March, now they seek to kill 
Leatherstocking. They have disobeyed God's 
command and the anger of God will wipe their 
tribe from the earth." 

Rivenoak's fear of this “child of the Great 
Manitou" was great, and he dared not order 
his warriors to remove her. Again he tempo¬ 
rized. 

“Pale Lily make talk," he said uneasily, sig¬ 
nifying his willingness to hear her out. 

“Release Leatherstocking," she demanded. 
“Permit him to go his way. He is a white man 
and a white man cannot marry an Indian 
woman as you wish him to do. Lead your peo- 


294 LEATHERSTOCKING 

pie back to the land of tbe Hurons and seek 

no more scalps.” 

“Pale Lily fool,” screamed a voice from the 
group of warriors. ‘ ‘ Leatherstocking die! ” 

Briarthorn, the renegade Delaware, reached 
the tree in a bound. He hurled Hetty to one 
side and tore the torch from Se-tah-ga’s hand. 
With a savage cry of triumph, he set fire to 
the dry twigs and branches upon which the 
captive was standing, and red tongues of flame 
leaped upward. The Hurons stood aghast, 
awaiting some sign of divine anger at this act. 
Then their fear was conquered, and they leaped 
forward to begin their wild dance of death 
when beside Leatherstocking suddenly appeared 
a second figure, a tall, half-naked warrior who 
stamped out the fire and stood glaring at the 
fear-stricken Hurons. 

“I am Chingachgook, ” he cried in their own 
tongue, “the son of Uncas and the kinsman of 
the great Tamenund! I command you to set 
Leatherstocking free!” 

The fierce eyes swept the circle of savages 
and held them in silence. Briarthorn alone 
made move to put an end to the interference. 

“Chingachgook is slayer of Hurons,” he 
shrieked. “We are not safe if he escapes this 
time! * ’ 


THE SERPENT STRIKES 295 

The Mohican sprang at his foe, knife gleam¬ 
ing in his hand. Briarthorn knew he could not 
now avoid the reckoning that would be exacted 
of him and desperately he met the attack, 
while the Hurons crowded round to watch this 
fight to the death. 


CHAPTER XXH 


A NEW DAY 

On and on Judith ran towards the drums 
that beat out their message of hope. Her 
breath tore at her throat, her head swam, but 
with will born of desperation she struggled for¬ 
ward. 

Nearer and nearer came the martial roll and 
she strained her eyes to catch a glimpse of 
marching column she knew to be somewhere 
ahead of her. But on all sides the forest 
stretched away unbroken. She called upon all 
her dwindling strength and pressed on. Her 
foot rested for a second on a round stone that 
lay half hidden in moss and, with a cruel 
wrench, the slender ankle turned. A moan of 
pain escaped from the white lips, and Judith 
sank to the ground. 

With tantalizing persistence, the sound of 
the drums grew louder. Oh, for the strength, 
the fortitude to withstand the agony for a few 
seconds longer! 

It was to save his life—his life and Hetty’s! 

296 


A NEW DAY 297 

No sacrifice could be too great for that. All 
else must be forgotten! She must go on! 

Judith grasped the branch of a tree in con¬ 
vulsive fingers and pulled herself up on one 
foot. Gently she rested the other on the ground 
and attempted to take a step. The pain was 
unbearable and again she sank down sobbing. 
She had failed—failed in the very face of the 
goal she sought, for there through the woods, 
a hundred yards ahead, there flashed into view 
a crimson line of British soldiery. Four drum¬ 
mer boys were beating out the roll that had 
become as a part of Judith’s consciousness, 
and in an agony of fear that they might pass 
unaware of her presence she cried out her ap¬ 
peal for help. Then, on hands and knees, she 
crawled towards the red-coats. 

Since daybreak the detachment of British 
riflemen had been plodding through the woods 
north of Glimmerglass in an effort to reach 
the most westerly of the Mohawk River out¬ 
posts by sundown of the next day. This forced 
march through a wilderness that was probably 
hostile was to the liking of neither officers nor 
men, but they were on His Majesty’s service 
and consequently their grumbling amounted to 
nothing. 

Colonel Henry Munro, in command, newly 


298 LEATHERSTOCKING 

arrived in the colonies as was evidenced by his 
permission of the Old World practice of rolling 
drums even in the country of the savage en¬ 
emy, rode steadily forward, bored beyond 
words at the monotony of the landscape. Trees, 
trees, everywhere he looked and no sound save 
the rat-ta-tat from the head of the column. 

Suddenly a woman’s scream rang out, and 
the Colonel stiffened in his saddle. 

“Did you hear that, Lieutenant!” he asked 
brusquely of the young officer at his side. 

“Yes, sir,” came the answer. 

“Well, well, what was it!” snapped Munro. 

“A woman, sir, I think.” 

“A woman, you think,” roared the Colonel. 
“Not a doubt of it! But where is she and why 
did she cry out!” 

The perplexed Lieutenant stood in his stir¬ 
rups and peered in the direction from which 
the cry had come. There through the trees an 
object was moving towards him. It was a 
woman, and she was crawling on hands and 
knees. 

“There, sir,” he cried, pointing. 

“I see her,” came back the curt answer. 
“Dismount and help her. She seems to be 
wounded. ’ 9 

Hardly waiting to salute, the Lieutenant 


299 


A NEW DAY 

leaped from his horse and, calling to two of 
his men to follow him, he plunged into the 
underbrush. In a few moments they reached 
Judith’s side, and the young man knelt down 
beside her. 

“Oh, for God’s sake, hurry,” she sobbed. 
“The Indians—they’re killing a white man 
back there by the lake!” 

She clutched his arm frantically and tried to 
stand, but the pain was too great. 

“Pick her up,” he ordered. 

The soldiers lifted Judith and ran back with 
her to Munro, to whom the Lieutenant was re¬ 
porting her plea for help. 

“Take her up on your saddle,” the Colonel 
commanded. “She can tell us where these In¬ 
dians are.” 

“Straight through the forest to the lake,” 
Judith broke in, “then along the shore.” 

“Forward, double quick,” came the order, 
and into the thicket the detachment plunged. 

The cries of the Hurons grew in volume and 
fierceness as Chingachgook grappled with 
Briarthorn and crushed him to the ground. His 
great strength seemed to assume superhuman 
proportions, and the treacherous Delaware 
writhed in vain to free himself from this awful 
embrace. Slowly the Mohican raised his knife 


300 


LEATHERSTOCKING 


and Briarthorn fought desperately to stay the 
hand that held it, but his doom was already 
sealed. The hand wrenched itself free and the 
blade was poised for a second above him. Then 
it descended with terrible swiftness and, with 
a choking cry, he shuddered and lay still. 

Chingachgook was on his feet in an instant 
surrounded by the furious Hurons. Warily he 
backed away from them until he reached the 
tree. One slash of his blade and the thongs 
that held Leatherstocking were severed. For 
a moment his eyes left the oncoming savages 
as behind them a crimson line of soldiers broke 
through the forest. 

A word of command rang out, and forty 
rifles crashed as one. 

“The British! ’ ’ cried Leatherstocking. 

“We’re saved!” 

Dumfounded at the suddenness of the attack, 
the Hurons scattered, leaving a dozen or more 
dead and wounded on the ground. But they 
were not destined to escape, for another volley 
roared out and took its toll. 

Rivenoak screamed and shrieked at his de¬ 
moralized warriors, and they paused long 
enough to reply to the British fire. With rifles 
and arrows, they attempted to stem the ad- 


A NEW DAY SOI 

vance of the red-coats, but in vain. On came 
the bated Yengees. 

Hetty, who had crouched behind a tree when 
Se-tah-ga set the torch to the funeral pyre, 
now ran out into the open. She had seen 
Judith, who was seated on a log well out of 
range of the contending forces and, heedless 
of the danger, she started across the clearing 
towards her sister. A scattering volley came 
from the remnants of the Hurons, and Hetty 
staggered forward. Her hand clutched at her 
side and she sank softly to the ground. 

Chingachgook sprang to her and, lifting her 
carefully, bore her to the spot where Judith 
and Leatherstocking were clasped in each 
other's arms. 

“Pale Lily hurt," he cried. 

Judith screamed in horror as she saw the 
pitiful burden Chingachgook held. She reached 
out blindly in her grief and unconsciousness 
mercifully came to her relief. 

The first rays of the sun were just touching 
Glimmerglass when Hetty Hutter struggled 
back to consciousness. She was in her old room 
in Muskrat Castle. Beside her were Judith and 
Leatherstocking, and nearer the window she 


302 LEATHERSTOCKING 

could make out the forms of Chingachgook and 
Wah-ta-Wah. 

A stranger, a tall man in army uniform, was 
bending over her. As he rose, she looked at 
the grave face in an effort to recognize h i m , 
but her eyes wandered. 

“Judith,” she called softly, “where are 
you?” 

“Right beside you, dear,” came the answer, 
and there was a sob in the voice. 

Hetty stretched out a hand and felt weakly 
for the hand of her sister. Finding it, she 
sighed and sank back. 

“Judith,” she murmured, “I’m so very tired. 
I want to go to sleep—let me hold your hand . 9 9 

Judith tried to speak, but her voice failed 
her. She pressed the white hand to her lips, 
and her tears blinded her. 

“It’s growing dark.” Hetty’s voice was 
little more than a whisper. “I’m not afraid— 
Judith, I—I love—you—so—” 

The words ceased. A gentle sigh and Hetty 
Hutter passed into the darkness that but pre¬ 
cedes the dawn of a new day. 

Once more the waters of Glimmerglass had 
opened and received a Hutter to eternal rest. 
In her deep sorrow, Judith turned her back 


A NEW DAY 303 

on Muskrat Castle and faced the shore towards 
which Leatherstocking was paddling the canoe. 
The forest was now free of the Huron menace 
and again peace and quiet bestowed their bless- 
ings so long withheld. 

As her feet touched the beach, Judith cast 
one last look at the Castle. It stood like a 
monument over the three who slept beneath 
the waves a mother she did not remember, a 
kind protector she had looked on as father, 
and a sister whose gentle soul had brought so 
much sweetness to this desolate abode. In the 
distance she saw the canoe in which Chingach- 
gook was bearing his beloved Wah-ta-Wah back 
to the land of his people. 

Dearest,” she said as Leatherstocking’s 
arms encircled her, “I never want to see this 
spot again, but promise me that when the end 
comes, you will put me to rest out there where 
they are.” 

His lips were pressed against hers and his 
arms pressed her to him. 

“When the end comes,” he said, “ ’twill 
serve as a restin’ place for us both.” 


FINIS 


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Wheii two strong men clash and the under-dog has Irish 
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Donald McKay son of Hector McKay, millionaire lum¬ 
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Publishers, New York 


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The story of a strong man’s struggle against savage nature and human¬ 
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A college professor sets out with his daughter to find gold. They meet 
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-——whatever book3 are sold. Ask fo r Grosset & Dunlap’s list 

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Tells of 1 arzan s return to the life of the ape-man in 
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_ STORIES OF ADVENTURE _ 

May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset & Dunlap's list 

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A story of the Royal Mounted Police. 

THE GOLDEN SNARE 

Thrilling adventures in the Far Northland. 

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THE DESERT OF WHEAT * 

THE U. P. TRAIL 

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BETTY ZANE 

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JUST DAVID 

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.> i ■ - ■■ '■ ————— 1 — ■■■ 

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